UFC Fight Night London Predictions

Kingdom MMA predictions for UFC Fight Night London

by Ben Heather @benheather, Tommy Strong @Strong_tea and Jack Broadey @J3cK_b

This week we will be predicting the fights for UFC Fight Night 38, as the UFC returns to London for its first EMEA show of 2014. For this event we will give a write up for the main card fights card and then we will be picking our winners for the rest of the card. Let us know if you agree with our picks.

Gustafsson vs Manuwa

Jack: Although Gus can handle himself on the feet he has a massive advantage on the ground here. Manuwa is a poor grappler and Gus is excellent. I expect this to go to the ground early and for the frustrations of the Jon Jones loss to be taken out on Manuwa. I don't think this fight will see past he halfway point of round 1.

Prediction: Gustafsson by Submission Round 1

Ben: I was shocked when this fight was announced, I thought Gustafsson should have been matched up with another top ranked fighter such as Phil Davis with Jimi on the main card against a top 10 guy.... just not the number 2 guy.

That being said, Alex has everything to lose in this fight. Jimi will be going in to this fight as a big underdog and it may be the first time that has happened in his career. I would love to see the upset, however we have never seen Jimi tested and he will be on Saturday night. I can't see it happening but I would love it for Jimi and UK MMA as well.

Prediction: Gustafsson by Submission Round 4

Tommy: I still can't figure out why and how Jimi has got this fight except for selling tickets! Jimi hasn't fought anyone on the level of Alexander Gustafsson before, this is a huge step up for him and one I think he's really going to struggle with. With so much on the line for Gustafsson he really has everything to lose and nothing to gain by beating Jimi. Its Manuwa that could be in touching distance of a title fight if he was to pull of a huge upset here.

I expect Gustafsson to play it safe here against a dangerous striker and keep the fight either at length or force Jimi onto the ground for much of the fight.

Prediction: Gustafsson by TKO Round 2.

Johnson vs Guillard

Tommy: With Ross Pearson having to pull out due to an injury, this is a very good replacement in Johnson. Both fighters can blow hot or cold on any given night, so lets hope its piping hot as we could be in for real treat here. With Guillard's knockout power and Johnson's ground game this is a coin toss to predict, I'm still not sure who to pick in this, if I was a betting man I would leave this fight well alone.

Prediction: Johnson by Unanimous Decision

Jack: This fight is as close to a pick em as you'll see. Both extraordinarily talented fighters and both frustratingly inconsistent. If we are to assume both guys turn up on point(which history tells us they won't) then I like Johnson. Tibau and Lauzon are tough tough guys and he handled both with ease. Guillard has lost every significant fight he's been in over the last couple of years only winning 2 of the past 7.

Prediction: Johnson by KO Round 2

Ben: Johnson is on a tear, he has to be in the best form of his career. First he picked apart Joe Lauzon in a fight not many people gave him a chance, then he knocked out Tibau and I think he will do the same this weekend against Guillard. That being said, Guillard has proved that he can finish anyone on a good night but his form is not consistent. I see Johnson keeping his run going and next time out facing off against a top 10 ranked fighter.

Prediction: Johnson by TKO Round 2

Pickett vs Seery

Tommy: Pickett making his flyweight debut was something I was really looking forward to. Though with the withdrawal of Ian McCall I feel a little let down now. A win against a top ranked McCall would really of put Pickett into the top 5 of the flyweight division. The UFC have done a good job in finding a late replacement in Seery but the fight lacks a little something for me.

I think Pickett's experience in the octagon and Seery making his UFC debut this could be a lop sided fight!

Prediction: Pickett by TKO Round 1

Ben: I feel for Pickett in this fight, when I spoke to him just before Christmas he mentioned challenges and pushing towards a title shot. I feel a big win against McCall could have been enough to give him a shot against Mighty Mouse and his case is helped by the fact that he is one of only two men to beat him. However, now he is set to fight Neil Seery there isn't much to gain here for Pickett. It's now a fight that he is expected to win and by winning doesn't get much reward for doing so. He certainly won't be facing the champ next time out.

As for the fight itself I can't see anything else other than a Pickett stoppage victory, I can't decide whether that will be a knockout or submission but it won't be a good night for Seery.

Prediction: Pickett by TKO Round 2

Jack: Styles may clash here, late notice for Seery who no doubt is in shape but wasn't preparing to face Pickett. Pickett was preparing for a different style all together but class should show here.

Prediction: Pickett by Unanimous Decision

Nelson vs Akhmedov

Jack: My sleeper for fight of the night. Really looking forward to this one as soon as it was announced. Akhmedov's debut lasted about 3.5 minutes and he managed to win fight of the night and come from behind to win by KO. The fight despite being so short had everything and it really showed off all the Russians skill set. Nelson has not fought since the last time the Octagon landed in London back in February of 2013. No real explanation of the extended break and that would be of concern for me. Once a real hot prospect in the sport it's difficult to pick him here though.

Prediction: Akhmedov by Decision

Tommy: It will be good to see Gunnar Nelson back inside the octagon after a year out since he last fought in London 2013. Though this could be a real tough test for Nelson. Akhmedov unbeaten in 11 fights, won fight of the night honours in his debut against Thiago Perpetuo in November. Both fighters are very well rounded here with Gunnar having the slight edge on the ground, though if Akmedov can keep it standing he has a very good chance here.

I've made the mistake to many times backing against Russian fighters in the UFC so this time I'm going for the upset here.

Prediction: Akhmedov by TKO Round 2

Ben: Unlike the others I see Gunnar Nelson returning to the Octagon and picking up where he left off last year in London. Yes Akhmedov could be his toughest opponent to date but I feel it will be a submission victory which will come and Nelson will not let it go until he gets the W.

Prediction: Nelson by Submission Round 2.

Predictions for the remainder of the Card

Diabate vs Latifi

Jack: Diabate         Ben: Diabate     Tommy: Diabate

Barnatt vs Nilsson

Jack: Barnatt         Ben: Barnatt       Tommy: Barnatt

Scott vs da Silva

Jack: Scott            Ben: Scott          Tommy: Scott

Grant vs Delorme

Jack: Grant           Ben: Delorme     Tommy: Delorme

Araujo vs Mitchell

Jack: Araujo         Ben: Mitchell      Tommy: Araujo

Harris vs Gaudinot

Jack: Gaudinot      Ben: Gaudinot    Tommy: Gaudinot

Stars of UFC London predict who will win at UFC 170

Phil Harris, Danny Mitchell and Brad Scott predict UFC 170

by Ben Heather @benheather

Normally before all the UFC events we put out our own predictions picking who we think will win and our reasoning for why. This week we thought we would try and mix it up and instead of giving you our picks we have instead asked some of the best UK fighters, who will all be showcasing their skills in the Octagon in a little over 2 weeks at UFC Fight Night 38 in London.

The fighters who will be predicting the fights for this event are:

Phil Harris (1-2 UFC 22-11-1 MMA)

The english flyweight who meets Louis Gaudinot in London. That fight will kick off the show in London and is sure to be a great battle between two tough flyweights. Phil will be looking to return to London in the UFC and get his hand raised again as he did in February '13 when he defeated Ulysses Gomez.

Danny Mitchell (14-4-1 MMA)

The Cheescake Assassin will make his UFC debut next month against Igor Araujo. Mitchell has a very good record and is a welcome addition to the UFC roster. Mitchell has faced a lot of top opppnents including Dean Amasinger, Gunnar Nelson and also fought to a draw against former Cage Warriors Welterweight champion Cathal Pendred.

Brad Scott (1-1 UFC 9-2 MMA)

First became a familiar name to UFC fans when he was part of Team UK on TUF: The Smashes where he made it all the way to the final of the welterweight bracket. He would lose that fight against Robert Whittaker but then moved up to middleweight. He made his UFC middleweight debut against Michael Kuiper in Manchester finishing him in the first round and will return to action again in London.

So lets get down to business, below you will find the predictions for the fighters.

Ronda Rousey vs Sara McMann

Harris: Rousey by Decision

Mitchell: Rousey by Submission Round 1

Scott: McMann by Decision

Daniel Cormier vs Pat Cummins

Harris: Cormier by TKO Round 1

Mitchell: Cormier by Decision

Scott: Cormier by KO

Rory MacDonald vs Demian Maia 

Harris: MacDonald by Decision

Mitchell: Macdonald by TKO Round 2

Scott: MacDonald by Decision

Mike Pyle vs TJ Waldburger

Harris: Waldburger by Decision

Mitchell: Pyle by TKO Round 1

Scott: Pyle by Decision

Robert Whittaker vs Stephen Thompson

Harris: Whittaker by TKO Round 2/3

Mitchell: Whittaker by Decision

Scott: Whittaker by TKO Round 2/3

There you have it, we would like to thank all the fighters for picking who they think will win and we will see on Saturday night who comes out with the most correct results.

Brad Scott talks to Kingdom MMA before his fight at UFC London

Kingdom MMA catch up with Bradley Scott during his fight camp in Arizona

by Ben Heather @benheather

Bradley "Bear" Scott returns to action in the Octagon on March 8th as the UFC returns to London, ahead of that fight Brad took some time out of his busy schedule to talk to Kingdom MMA from Arizona where he is preparing for his fight at The MMA Lab. Brad is set to face Brazilian fighter Claudio Henrique da Silva that night. Today we caught up with Brad to discuss what he has been doing since his last fight, the performances of his team mates from The Lab recently and many more subjects.

Ben: At UFC on Fox 10 two of your MMA Lab team mates, Benson Henderson and John Moraga were in action in close fights. How did you score the fights?
Brad: In both cases people have been disputing the outcome but I think Benson won personally. Look at the fightmetric stats as well, I know that doesn't always show clearly the fight but personally I think Benson won 3 of the 5 rounds. People whinge that he only wins split decisions but I don't give a shit. He is fighting the best guys in the world, its going to be a close fight. Benson is a beast, I spar with him at The MMA Lab and he goes harder there than he does in his fights as well.

As for John Moraga, it makes me mad. John did a lot more damage, John even dropped the guy. Personally I believe that in a fight you're trying to do damage if you think about it. I know we all train MMA as a sport but at the end of the day you're trying to do damage and I don't like the idea that John was doing all the damage and all that guy did was simply hold him down. He didn't do anything, he didn't go for any submissions, no ground and pound, all he did was lay on him and cuddle him and that is not how you do damage. John left without a scratch on him, the other guy got dropped and John clearly won the fight in my eyes. John Moraga is a scary dude.

Ben: At UFC 169 we also saw another fighter from The MMA Lab Andy Enz, who has been one of your sparring partners during this camp. What did you make to his performance?
Brad: He is tough as fuck, and he doesn't give a fuck who you are either, He just stood toe to toe with a dangerous striker and he just kept going. He improved so much in his time at The Lab and was a lovely guy as well. I genuinely wanted him to win, I really like him and its savage that he lost.

I thought he won the last round as well, plus if you look at the way he landed when he got dropped he put his hands down so he must have regained consciousness as he went down.

I was not impressed with Clint, I would break his soul if he didn't knock me out in the first 2 minutes. I nearly called him out after the fight too.

Ben: Sticking with the recent UFC 169 event another English middleweight, Tom Watson was in action. How did you rate his performance and what do you think is next for Kong?
Brad: The fight was crap, it was like he was fighting not to lose. I personally think both me and Luke Barnatt would beat him and he is ranked above us both. Look at his UFC career, first of all he was given way to tough of an opponent in his debut in Brad Tavares. From Jack Marshman to Brad Tavares it was like welcome to the UFC that wasn't great match making in my opinion. Then his next fight against Stanislav Nedkov he went out and was trying to finish the fight and did. He rightfully got the Fight of the Night and Knockout of the Night bonuses for that fight.

Then I don't know whats happened, I like Tom a lot. I used to look up to him a lot. I just don't know whats gone on, just throwing leg kicks is asking to be taken down. I hope he gets another shot and he just comes out and tears it up.

Ben: Now lets look back at your fight in Manchester and the events after, do you feel that after your fight in Manchester you got the credit you deserved for the win? It seemed to me that other guys seemed to get a lot more air time and publicity after the fight.
Brad: It doesn't bother me if I am honest with you. In all fairness Luke (Barnatt) got the Fight of the Night bonus which was quite impressive. It was quite cool when he landed the upper cut on Craig, put his hand in the air and walked away and Andrew Craig was still on his leg trying to take him down. That was pretty funny.

I believe a lot of it is because my fight wasn't televised. From what I have heard I had one of the biggest cheers of the night. I couldn't believe the reception I got, I was chuffed to bits and wasn't expecting that. Plus, in all fairness my fight wasn't the most exciting fight though was it. It was a couple of exchanges which I feel I got the better off. I landed a good upper cut put him against the fence and choked him out. Once I knew I had the choke I cranked on it so hard I hurt my back.

I was happy with the credit I got. When I beat the next guy then I will be more satisfied.

Ben: Did it annoy you that when your fight was announced for UFC London the fans were commenting negatively and wanting bigger names and better fights on the card?
Brad: No I'm on the undercard anyway so that doesn't bother me. I think they were more interested in the main card but they should be happy with what they get on the prelims. I could understand if I was on the main card, but not with me on the prelims. I think everyone on the whole card is awesome.

I do know what the fans mean though, they want big big names. They want guys that they have seen on a regular basis on the bigger shows but on the prelims its the guys working there way up the ladder that's why they are called the prelims. Due to the time zones you're not going to get Jon Jones and the fans should be happy that the show is being headlined by Gustafsson. As fans if you want to see the best unfortunately for us Brit's you've got to travel.
England does not have a big enough fan base yet which is why the UFC are trying to promote it in England by putting English fighters on the card. Beyond The Octagon is a fantastic show they are trying to promote a big show, trying to build the sport and promote English fighters and the fans moan, come on give em a chance.

I would be happy to be on the prelims for the next 5 fights and I would not care. I genuinely mean that, I think the pressure goes up as you go up the card and people expect more but people will be impressed by my next fight. I'm going to light Claudio up.... touch wood.

Ben: The win last time proved you were justified to go up in weight, what was your reasoning behind moving up a weight class?
Brad: Food. My whole life depended on dieting but now I can eat what ever I want as long as my performance is good I can eat what I want. My only worry was being dwarfed by people but I was a bigger build than Andy Enz, I move faster than a lot of middleweights and its a reason why John Crouch and everyone at the MMA Lab has been trying to get me to move back down to 170. When I go in there and get absolutely man handled that's when I will consider going back down in weight but until then I'm staying at 185.

Ben: For this fight did you ask for a specific fight?
Brad: All I did was ask to be on the London card then they gave me Claudio da Silva and as soon as that name come through I knew exactly who it was and took it. It could have been anyone mind I would have taken it but I said yeah 100% I know who he is, I know what he is good at, I've seen him fight he's a jui jitsu master.

Ben: Your back at the Lab for this fight, is that something you intend to do for every camp now?
Brad: The Lab is awesome, I know its predominantly a lightweight gym but there is a lot of heavier guys there as well and they are all good. We are all learning the same, we are all drilling the same, we're all getting our hard sparring in. It doesn't matter what size you are you can still share the same gym. I do a lot of sparring with Benson, hard sparring because Benson is the same height as my next opponent but he is fucking stronger than my next opponent. Benson is a freak of strength, he lifts me clean up and slams me but he hasn't managed to keep me down or submit me yet.

Ben: Being at The MMA Lab seems to have a family atmosphere do you agree?
Brad: Yeah its the same as Dragonslair, I think that's why I get on so well. Everyone helps each other, great sparring, two of my sparring partners are all American wrestlers. One of them is good at jui jitsu as well, he won the worlds at blue belt and I know people may say its only blue belt but its the world championships so its legit.

Ben: Last time out you promised me a win by knock out, whats the plan for this fight?
Brad: Yeah I fucked up didn't I. I really doubt I am going to submit this guy, I want a knockout... not a TKO, I would love something horrific where his teeth hit the back row in the binocular seats. We will see what happens, I have to keep it tight stop him from locking anything on if he gets me down and then let him have it when we are stood up.

Ben: Did you find going back to The MMA Lab easier as you knew everyone?
Brad: I knew everyone and sparred the first day I got back, I felt personally I went back a better fighter. I had been drilling all the things I had been told to while I was away and I returned 10x the fighter I was the first time I went to The MMA Lab. I have added another boxing coach back in the UK, both of them are completely different styles and I am blending them up so I will be devastating people.

Ben: What was it like to walk out in the UFC in UK?
Brad: What compared to Australia, fucking awesome. I got spat on in Australia. I couldn't believe the cheer I was getting. It gave me goosebumps.

Thank you for your time, we really appreciate it and hope you have a safe trip back to the UK and we will see you in action as the UFC returns to London on March 8th.

UFC Fight Night 37 fight card Official - The Prelims

UFC announce the finalised line up for UFC Fight Night 37 - Kingdom MMA review the Prelims

by Ben Heather @benheather

With the tickets for UFC Fight Night 37 now on sale to fight club members and those who have signed up to the UFC Newsletter it has been announced that the line up for the event has been finalised.

UFC Fight Night 37 marks the return to the UK of the UFC and its first show in Europe of 2014. The fight card has been set at 10 fights and will consist of a 4 fight main card and 6 prelim fights.

Kingdom MMA will now take a look at the prelims and discuss what is on the line in each match up.

Phil Harris vs Louis Gaudinot

The show will be kicked off with a flyweight battle between England's Phil Harris (22-11-1 MMA 1-2 UFC) and #11 ranked Louis Gaudinot (6-3 MMA 1-2 UFC) as both men look to get back to winning ways following losses to John Lineker and Tim Elliott respectively. This fight will also mark the first time that Gaudinot has fought outside of the USA, while Harris will have the crowd on his side with the home field advantage. A loss for either fighter could result in them getting cut from the UFC, although with the flyweight division not exactly overflowing with fighters they may be safe for one more fight.

Danny Mitchell vs Igor Araujo

The next fight is in the Welterweight division and will see "The Cheesecake Assassin" Danny Mitchell (14-4-1 MMA) make his UFC debut against Brazilian Igor Araujo (24-6-1 MMA 1-0 UFC), who trains at Jackson's MMA. Between both men 75% of there victories have come via submission so we could be in for a real treat in this fight if it ends up on the floor.

Davey Grant vs Roland Delorme

TUF 18's Davey Grant (8-2 MMA 0-1 UFC) gets his wish in the next fight, although he didn't win The Ultimate Fighter in 2013 he did enough for the UFC to give him a contract. Now he gets at least one more shot in the octagon at UFC Fight Night 37, back on home soil as he squares off against five times UFC veteran Roland Delorme (9-2-1 MMA 3-1-1 UFC). This will be a tough test for Grant however, a win in this fight will certainly see him settle in the division and prove that he deserves to be in the UFC and he will certainly get the full backing of the English crowd.

Delorme will also be fighting outside of North America for the first time in his career so unlike Grant will have to deal with trying to cut weight while travelling and getting used to fighting at a different time zone. All of these factors could have an impact on the outcome of this fight and will be to Grant's advantage.

Then its the turn of the middleweights as two former TUF contestants Brad Scott (9-2 MMA 1-1 UFC) and Luke Barnatt (7-0 MMA 2-0 UFC) are set to defend British pride as they take on Claudio Henrique da Silva (9-1 MMA) and Mats Nilsson (11-2-1 MMA) respectively, who will both be making their UFC debuts.

Brad Scott vs Claudio Henrique da Silva

Brad Scott will be making his third appearance in the UFC after losing in the final of TUF The Smashes to Robert Whittaker but then submitting Michael Kuiper in the first round with a front choke in Manchester back in October. As with his last fight Scott has been out in American training at The MMA Lab in Arizona training with guys such as former champ Benson Henderson and Joe Riggs, which can only be a good thing for his preperation for this fight. Claudio Henrique da Silva who trains at London Shootfighters will be coming in to this fight looking to make a name for himself and prove to the world that he deserves to be in the UFC. By the time the fight takes place it will be nearly 18 months since his last fight though so UFC debut nerves and ring rust may play a factor in the fight.

Luke Barnatt vs Mats Nilsson

At 7-0 Luke Barnatt will be putting his undefeated record on the line again as he looks to work his way up the rankings with another win in London and this time he is fighting Swedish fighter Mats Nilsson. When this fight was announced many fans were shocked that Barnatt had not been given a bigger name fight but for Luke, as always he will not be leaving anything to chance as he prepares both physically and mentally for his fight. Nilsson, who fought and won twice last year for Cage Warriors is certainly taking a step up in competition as he makes his UFC debut.

I just hope we don't see anymore showboating from Luke in this fight and he sticks to business and focuses purely on finishing his opponent instead of celebrating before the job is complete.

Cyrille Diabate vs Ilir Latifi

The final bout on the prelims sees Ilir Latifi (7-3 MMA 0-1 UFC) make his return to the UFC after headlining UFC Sweden last year as a last minute injury replacement for Alex Gustafsson. The fact that Latifi headlined a UFC event in 2013 had to be one of the strangest stories of 2013 but he certainly didn't embarrass himself, if anything his stock rose in the fight. Yes he clearly lost the fight against Mousasi who was the better fighter and cruised for most of the fight but Latifi didn't look like he didn't belong in the Octagon with him. For this fight he gets a full camp to prepare for Cyrille Diabate (19-9-1 MMA 4-3 UFC) and we will certainly the best Ilir Latifi in March.

I didn't expect to see Diabate on this card due to the fact that his UFC record when fighting in the UK is 0-3 and his overall MMA record when fighting in the UK is 3-6 which is crazy for a guy with a very good record. That being said, two of those loses have come against Alex Gustafsson and Jimi Manuwa who will be fighting each other in the main event of this event so it shows the opposition he has been facing.

I think both men need to win this fight as a loss could have severe implications on their employment status with the UFC.


That marks my preview of the prelims for UFC Fight Night 37, make sure to keep checking Kingdom MMA for the breakdown of the main card.

Tickets are on sale now for this event at www.ticketmaster.co.uk

Two Middleweight battles added to the UFC's return to London

Barnatt and Scott set to defend British pride as the UFC returns to the UK

by Sam Heard @SamHeard_

The already-juicy UFC Fight Night card billed to take place in our great capital’s 02 Arena this March had two additional middleweight fights added earlier this week. Cambridge’s Luke Barnatt has been matched against Sweden’s Mats Nilsson while Somerset-born Brad “Bear” Scott will fight Claudio Henrique da Silva.

Luke “Bigslow” Barnatt (7-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) vs Mats Nilsson (11-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC)

Team Sonnen’s first pick in the 17th season of The Ultimate Fighter, Bigslow has lived up to the outspoken American’s high expectations of him, already having been victorious twice in the Octagon as well as picking up that coveted Fight of the Night Bonus. Barnatt’s Fight of the Night against Andrew Craig was an amazing bout. On two occasions Barnatt dropped the American and thought the fight was finished only for Craig to make an unexpected recovery. Craig – who was as high as a 4/9 favourite going into the fight with big wins over fighters like Chris Leben and Rafael Natal – was finally overwhelmed by Barnatt’s slick ground game as Bigslow locked in a rear-naked choke. Bigslow has garnered a great deal of popularity for his charisma and direct nature. Comically he and fellow UK fighter Conor McGregor have become involved in a twitter beef after Bigslow criticised the Irishman’s unwarranted hype. It’s a wonder featherweight McGregor – who has been known to pick fights with people ridiculously far outside his weight class – hasn’t challenged the 6’6” Barnatt to a fight!
Bigslow’s opponent making his debut in the UFC is Sweden’s Mats Nilsson. Nilsson will be well known to UK MMA fans after stringing together wins in Cardiff and Glasgow for Cage Warriors in 2013. Having picked up wins in seven of his last eight fights, there is little wonder Nilsson has been enlisted by the UFC and he is certainly a tough test for Barnatt.

Brad “Bear” Scott (9-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC) vs Claudio Henrique da Silva (9-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC)

Brad Scott looks to build on his success from UFC Fight Night 30 with his decisive first round submission victory over fearsome Dutch striker Michael Kuiper. Fighting in Manchester after a near-year hiatus following his loss to Robert Whittaker, doubters of Scott thought ring-rust combined with a dangerous opponent spelt the worst for Scott. He silenced the doubters dramatically with his first round victory and doubtless filled the wallets of shrewd MMA punters having been offered at tall 3/1 betting odds.
Like Mats Nilsson, Claudio Henriqeu da Silva will be welcomed to his Octagon debut by a Brit coming off a massive win. In very unusual circumstances, the Brazillian Da Silva may have more right to claim the home field advantage over Brad Scott as he trains full time in London with the Shootfighters gym. Da Silva has successively won nine fights with eight of the victories coming within the distance.

Both these fights are very welcome additions to an already brilliant card. Best of luck to Luke and Brad from Kingdom MMA in their preparations for the fights; we can’t wait to see them do what they do best on 8th March.

The Bradley Scott Blog - Episode 2

My life training at The MMA Lab

by Bradley Scott @Bradleyscott89

The MMA Lab

Last week was a tough week, it was probably one of the harder weeks we have done. I was absolutely exhausted by the end of it, absolutely fucked. The strength and conditioning was probably the reason for it. We did three solid strength and conditioning sessions, they were really long winded as well.

To keep you all up to date with my routine for the past couple of weeks, this is what I have been doing.

Last Monday (26th August)
Kickboxing - working on our technique so it was quite tame but focused on specific techniques.

Tuesday
Wrestling and Grappling - which was pretty difficult

Wednesday - It was tough we did a really hard conditioning session and then after that we had stand up sparring.

Thursday
In the morning I did Jui Jitsu, then in the afternoon we just rolled for like an hour and a half. It absolutely killed me.

Friday Morning ON MY DAY OFF
I had to do conditioning again which absolutely annihilated me, but I had the rest of Friday off.

Then on Saturday I had sparring, proper MMA sparring which is the hard sparring session at The MMA Lab but I was so fucked I could hardly spar, I still managed to get four good five minute rounds in. I was destroyed mentally by the end of the week.

Monday (2nd Sept)
This week, conditioning has been upped a notch as the Americans have had a day off on Monday called Labor Day which is like one of our bank holidays back home. So we had an hour and half to two hour MMA practise doing Kickboxing drills. Lots and lots of kicks and lots of defence from kicks obviously this was as a result of Anthony Pettis and how his fight with Benson turned out.

Tuesday
We had a fucking horrible conditioning session, it was the worst conditioning session ever. Oh my god, it was fucking hell. I had to leave early as I had to have my eyes tested and so he just crammed as much shit in to an hour and half session as he could and it just fucking killed me. Loads and loads of biometric stuff, the vertimax machine which ties you to the floor with all the elastics. It was a fucking nightmare it caught me off guard massively and completely destroyed my soul and my will to live.

Then on Tuesday night I was hoping for some technique work, we did wrestling mixed with a little bit of jui jitsu and then we rolled at the end for another thirty minutes or so. It was another hour and half workout by the end so that was pretty savage as well but it was really good.


All the guys are so good and I am learning so much. Ive been working a lot with a brown belt in Jui Jitsu called Ishmael (I cant remember his second name) but he is really good and is kicking my arse on the floor. I'm currently a blue belt, second degree not that makes any difference. So I need to hurry up and get to a purple belt otherwise I cant compete.... you got to be a high belt in Jui Jitsu its like the law so I think I'll get my black belt in a couple of months I expect. Do a couple of backward rolls, couple of forward rolls, a couple of triangles and that should get me my black belt..... god if only it was that easy!!

I have been getting destroyed on the floor here they are so good. Its the ones that look like nothing who are the most dangerous ones, well except for Ishmael who is shredded. He is really athletic and has good stand up, good wrestling in fact he is good at MMA. He is also a pro but I don't know what organisation he fights for, but he is really good.

We also have Augusto Mendes he is a 4x World Brazilian Jui Jitsu champion and a ADCC winner so he is really good and so fast but he is only little so he can help and he is a damn sight better than me. He is quick on the floor, not so good stand up or wrestling but great on the floor.

That's is literally all I have been doing so far and I am hanging out of my arse. Everyday I come home and drink this special water "Essentia Water" Its super hydrating water and is quite expensive but it tastes quite good as water goes. Its fucking lovely, them and chocolate almonds they get me through.

I weighed myself yesterday and I'm 200lbs so that's well ahead of schedule. Its where I want to be a week out so I will just try and stick to it now if I can. It was after training though so I was probably a little dehydrated so I'd probably say I was more like 203lbs I expect.

Hanging out with the guys from The MMA Lab
On Saturday night I didn't actually get to see the Benson fight as we all got together for a local event which was about an hour away, still in Arizona. We had three wins out of three fights all of them really quick. Two of them were guillotines, one in about 30 seconds the other in a minute and a half. Then the other fight was a third round TKO but it was a massacre so that was really good and it proved what a real winning attitude The MMA Lab has.

As for the UFC fights I know Jamie Varner didn't win but I haven't seen the fight yet but I would have liked to see Jamie Varner win, he is a really cool guy.

I know Benson will be back as well and will hopefully get another shot at Pettis to earn revenge, he will probably have to take a couple of fights before but then hopefully get another shot. He walks around deceivingly close to weight and is still in good shape now. He is fucking shredded.

In the next blog I will continue to give more details of my training and touch on my game plan and some specifics that I have been training on ready for the fight so stay tuned to Kingdom MMA for the next instalment.

The Bradley Scott Blog - episode 1

My thoughts on my fight announcement and my first week at the MMA Lab

by Bradley Scott @Bradleyscott89

By now you all know that I am back.

This is the first instalment of my blog which will only be available on Kingdom MMA, I will talk you through my life as I train towards the big fight in Manchester on October 26th against Michael Kuiper. So keep reading over the coming weeks as I tell you about my life as a UFC fighter.

My opponent Michael Kuiper
 

The fight was officially announced on Thursday that I will be fighting in Manchester on October 26th against Michael Kuiper. I have been watching some videos of him and he looks a pretty good Dutch kick boxer, not up there with the likes of Andy Souwer but he is definitely skilled.

I imagine come fight night there will be a lot of punches thrown, I am certainly hoping to finish him I don't want to go the distance. I will be going in there to get the KO/ TKO obviously, the only way I will get a submission victory is if its handed to me on a plate. I'm talking if he grabs my arm and wraps it around his throat and squeezes it for me that's the only way it will be a submission victory. There is no ifs or buts it will be an exciting fight. Loads of punches thrown, loads of blood, claret and shit everywhere I'm just hoping its in my favour.

Training at The MMA Lab
 

For this fight I have decided to go to train in America, I have been training at The MMA Lab in Pheonix, Arizona. I came out to America at the start of last week and last Tuesday (13th August) I had my first training session. It is certainly an experience to say the least, this week has been my induction week and I am just trying to get used to it here. I'm getting starstruck just seeing current UFC Lightweight Champion Benson Henderson and people like that walking around. Joe Riggs is my training partner and its quite an experience. All of these guys which I am used to seeing on TV thinking wow what a legend and here I am training in the same room as them.

Since I have arrived I have been working a lot on my ground game, doing a lot of wrestling at the minute as my striking is pretty good. So I am trying to learn as much as I can, there are so many great wrestlers here. The ground level is just insane here, everyone is a good wrestler.

Training with John Crouch
 

John Crouch is an awesome coach, he looks at all the nitty gritty details. He doesn't care he will make time for you, even if he doesn't have any time he will make the time available for you. Even though Benson's title fight is just over a week away I have been working loads with John. He even set a whole session around me just to help me learn a certain technique. It's really technical here, I like the set up and they only have one hard sparring session a week so you're not really hurting all the time but we do do a lot of sparring.

Benson Henderson
 

He is still training here everyday, he is an absolute fucking monster. People don't understand how hard he trains and he certainly is better than everyone else here and you can see why. His dedication and his training ethics are amazing. He trains everyday and the other day he did 5x five minute rounds and he looked better in the fifth than he did in the first. The guy is a freak!! When I first saw him I was surprised how big he is, he is fucking huge and absolutely shredded. I don't know how much weight he has to cut but I do know he will make weight he is a professional, everything he does is professional.

My initial thoughts on the biggest differences so far between a UK gym and the Lab
 

In the UK most of the gyms I train at I am normally one of the top five fighters at the gym but here I am probably like in the top twenty maybe and that I am getting to train with some top fighters which all forms a good experience.

My first session was an experience, they spar hard here. They only do small sessions like 3 x 5 minutes or 4 x 5 minute sessions and that's your whole day done but its hard. Its also very clever as we don't get hurt or pick up any silly injuries, everyone has got that experience of having a fight. Another big difference is that when you spar everyone else watches so you have about 50 or 60 guys watching you which makes it feel like a real fight, its hardcore.

When was the last time someone like Benson Henderson or Jamie Varner pulled out of a fight due to an injury.... The guys here know what they are doing. Speaking of Jamie Varner, he is awesome. He's massive as well, he's built like a pitbull!! Joe Riggs is obviously built like a tank as well, he's huge. I sparred with him yesterday. The guy is a beast, he's got a fractured orbital bone but he puts a head guard on and then throws down still.... The guys a fucking freak!! He's fast as well and believe me he can bang. Like I said the guys a freak.

The quality of the food and stuff is better over here as well. I'm eating much better foods, there is a lot better variety of foods and I am getting better advice from people and advice of the other pro's here.

My weight
 

Another thing I have noticed is I have lost 10lbs since I have been here (10 days). I'm really struggling, I think a lot of it is to do with the amount of water I am drinking over here. I'm drinking about 8 litres a day due to me sweating so much from the two training sessions and I am having to have loads and loads of Gatorade and electrolytes just to keep me from cramping. So I am forcing myself to eat and am adding in high calorie foods such as nut butter and I am having fattier meats just so I can get the calories in and I am still losing loads of weight. I'm actually under 200lbs at the minute which for a middleweight is fuck all. Just look at Joe Riggs he weighs 210lbs and he is a fucking welterweight.

Everything is going right, making weight is not going to be a problem in fact I am trying to put weight on.

The British Invasion at the Lab
 

I've got two more English guys here as well, Andrew Fisher is here "Copper Bollocks" as I call him he's fucking lovely. There is another guy too but he is a amateur. I was the first Brit here and then all of a sudden two days later two more turn up. We have invaded over here, we are taking over.


In the next blog I will be able to give more details of my game plan and some specifics that I have been training on ahead ready for the fight so stay tuned to Kingdom MMA for the next instalment.

Pro Picks: UK MMA Cream of the Crop Weigh In on Pendred vs Mills

Pro Picks: UK MMA Finest Weigh In on Pendred vs Mills
By Chris Houten - @kingdomMMAChris 

On Saturday night Cathal Pendred will attempt to defend his Welterweight belt against Che Mills at The Helix, Dublin Ireland in possibly the biggest fight on the European MMA scene this year.

For weeks I have been debating who's going to win the fight, when I convince myself the striking of Mills will prevail, I can't help but remind myself of Pendreds wrestling skills. Over and over, I have decided then changed my mind again, to the point where you could confuse me for the summer weather in Britain.

So I decided to catch up with some of finest fighters in Britain, from Bamma Champions, to a Cage Warriors Champion, to a couple guys in the UFC and more, to see who they think will win on Saturday.

We surveyed 18 of the finest UK fighters..... and our surveys said:

Paul 'Semtex' Daley:
"I thinks it's a very interesting fight between to great UK fighters, both very powerful and athletic. In my opinion Pendred will win this fight with takedowns, dominance in the clinch and ground control."

Pick: Cathal Pendred

John Maguire:
"I Think Che Mills by TKO in the later rounds!"

Pick: Che Mills

Bradley Scott

"I don't think Pendred will be able to get Che down, he's a nightmare. Che will stay by the fence on purpose because he's strong defending takedowns. Pendred's no where near as Good a Riddle at wrestling. Che defo gonna win this."

Pick: Che Mills

Colin 'Freakshow' Fletcher:
"I'm going with Che! It's hard to adjust to the way the UFC do things I do think we saw the best of him in the UFC."

Pick: Che Mills

Jim Alers:
"I have my money in Pendred. I feel that he has what it take to beat anyone in the 170lbs division and have him grinding out a decision."

Pick: Cathal Pendred

Rob Sinclair:
"I'm going with Che Mills."

Pick Che Mills

James Brum:
"I will definitely be tuning in to watch this fight. Both Pendred and Mills are very talented and dangerous fighters. I'm a big fan of Pendred so my money is on him. I believe he will be victorious and the Champion will retain his title."

Pick: Cathal Pendred

Leeroy Barnes:
"I'm going with Mills."

Pick: Che Mills

Danny Roberts:
"The fight between Mills and Pendred will be a good fight. Mills good stand up and accurate striking where as Pendred  possesses the better grappling, he's more intense and will smother Mills work. Think Mills will start of strong but I can see Pendred capitalising with the pace and grappling taking it to a decision win for Pendred."

Pick: Cathal Pendred

Matt Inman
"Pendred all the way for me."

Pick: Cathal Pendred

Jack Mason:
"I am a big fan of Che Mills but I honestly think Cathal will just use his constant pressure, takedowns and pushing Che up against the cage to get the decision win and retain his belt."

Pick: Cathal Pendred

Martin McDonough:
"My prediction is a decision win for Pendred. Even though I like Mills an he is a good fighter, I have been on the same Card as Pendred twice an he is really good at shutting people's game down and getting the win. I think he is a bit of a cardio machine as well and he is a unit for a welterweight."

Pick: Cathal Pendred 

Jason Cooledge:
"Pendred win decision."

Pick: Cathal Pendred

Matt Ewin:
"I can see Pendred trying to close the distance ASAP and try to bully Che up against the cage and work for the takedown from there, he won't be able to shoot in on Che with Che's reach and great foot work. But saying that Che's far to strong for Pendred and with his excellent striking the only way I can see the fight going is Che stopping Pendred in the first or very early in The second."

Pick: Che Mills

Mike Neun:
"I think Che Mills will win. My gut tells me TKO."

Pick: Che Mills

Jim Wallhead
"I have never watched Pendred fight but I hear good things, but I gotta back Che he is my mate I'm excited to see how it goes."

Pick: Mills

Curt Warburton:
"Pendred on points."

Pick: Pendred

Andrew Punshon:
"Mills to win by decision."

Pick: Che Mills

So there you have you have it 18 asked - 9 picked Pendred, 9 picked Mills... and I'm still none the wiser. All I know is we the fans can expect a hell of a fight on Saturday.
 

Interview: TUF Smashes Finalist Bradley Scott

Kingdom MMA Talks to Bradley Scott

By Tommy Strong - @Strong_tea

Kingdom MMA had the pleasure of catching up with TUF Smashes Finalist Bradley Scott earlier this week. Here's what he had to say about his TUF experience in Australia, and what the future holds for him.

Hi Bradley, thank you for agreeing to an interview with Kingdom MMA. Its very much appreciated and will be a welcome addition to our website.

Tommy: What age did you start getting into MMA and had you watched any fighting previous to trying it for yourself?
Brad: I started mma at 18, I was fairly new to the sport but I have stumbled across footage of Chuck Liddell which I was horrified by, but at the same time massively inspired!!!

What inspired you to get into MMA?
I wasn't inspired to get into mma it sorta fell into place! I tired out for the marines and I wasn't fit enough so I googled the 10 hardest sports and MMA / Olympic wrestling had came first so I found the nearest club which was Dragonslair and the rest started from there.

How did you get the opportunity to appear on the smashes series? Did it feel surreal getting the call?
A good training partner and friends of mine Andy Cockram rang me and filled me in for the details, and I thought why not just go for it. Then my manager Gary Cross from G4MMA got on the case and told me to give it ago.
I turned up for the try outs and had no idea I would get selected, once I saw the talent that turned up, awesome fighters were there.
Two days before we were due to leave I got a phone call off my manager saying I was selected. I was very excited but where I never gave myself much of a chance, I ate a lot of bad foods and put a few unwanted pounds on haha.

What did you learn most from being in the TUF house? And being surrounded by great coaches did your overall MMA game evolve a lot more in the time you were in Australia?
I dont think I got better technically while in the house, but my veiw on fighting on MMA completely changed. I realised how important wrestling was, and I became obsessed with it when I got out of the house, don't get me wrong I'm still shit at wrestling.

Do you think fighting in Australia in the final gave an advantage to Whittaker, and did you have any family present at the finals for support? 
I thought it was a huge advantage for him have his home crowd and making weight on his doorstep. When I arrived at the gold coast I weighed 193lbs due to the flight etc. I think if I'd fought him in the UK , I think I would of won!!!!

Do you keep in contact with any fighters from the show, from team UK or Australia?
I dont really keep in contact with many of the fighters only through email and twitter. I mainly keep in contact with Dean (Amasinger) who is a wicked coach his knowledge of the sport is fantastic

Its been 3 months since the final of TUF Smashes, how has life changed for you ?
Life changed massively after the show, as a lot of people I'd never met would come up to me and ask for photos and come up for a chat about the house!!! I get more respect off other fighters from my local area and I'm able to sell myself for seminars, which I was unable to do before.

With winning the bonus of $25k for fight of the season award, what was the first thing you splashed out on?
I bought myself a laptop and some well earned clothes but otherwise I've been really relaxed with the spending. I don't really go out and drink anymore, just spend all my money on meals out and food.

You mentioned on twitter you are out of action at the moment due to a leg injury? is this likely to keep you out for long?
I had an operation to remove abscesses from my leg caused from a VIT B12 injection and dropping a weight onto the area allowing it to spread.
This has been horrific for my training as I haven't been able to do anything. It's held me back so much I have to take my time getting back and being able to get full function from my leg

When would you like to be stepping back into the cage, and do you have any opponent in mind that you would like to fight?
I don't think ill be fighting for a while now, but I would love to fight in the uk there is no place like home!!! I don't think there is anyone in particular I would like to fight, I would just want it to be a great fight for the fans and me.

Anytime in the future do you see yourself moving up to Middleweight?
I've asked Joe Silva to move up to middle weight and this is all fine I was 102kg at the time, so it made sense. I've lost a lot of weight now, but I'm sure with my hunger pains and appetite I will get over 90 again and get ready for a cut.

Is there any specific area in your game you have been working on to improve it for your next fight?
I've really been working on my wrestling, don't get me wrong its by no means second nature but it has made a massive difference to my game and allows me to throw more freely. I had worked massively of strength training, but that went out of he window as soon as I was in hospital rotting away.

Outside of the cage is there any other sports your enjoy watching or taking part in?
Apart from fighting sports I don't really watch any. I'm not a football fan or anything either. The only things I really watch are movies I'm a massive lord of the rings fan!!!

Thank you for taking the time out to speak to me Brad, and we hope to see you back in the cage very soon.