UFC Fight Night 40 - UK Betting Odds

UFC Fight Night 40 - UK Betting Odds

The UFC is back this weekend, and with it comes a chance to make some serious cash with the right bet. Kingdom MMA have teamed up with William Hill to bring those who fancy a little flutter the latest clear cut, UFC betting odds - Good Luck, and don't miss out on your free £25 bet below!

Preliminary Card
8/5 Anthony Lapsley v Albert Tumenov 1/2 
4/9 Justin Salas v Ben Wall 7/4
5/2 Manvel Gamburyan v Nik Lentz 3/10 
2/9 Eddie Wineland v Johnny Eduardo 16/5 
3/10 Yan Cabral v Zak Cummings 5/2
8/15 Kyoji Horiguchi v Darrell Montague 6/4
EVS Ed Herman v Rafael Natal 4/5 

Main Card
EVS Chris Cariaso v Louis Smolka 4/5
4/9 Soa Palelei v Ruan Potts 7/4 
21/10 Neil Magny v Tim Means 4/11 
3/10 Erik Koch v Daron Cruickshank 5/2
7/4 Costas Philippou v Lorenz Larkin 4/9 
7/4 Matt Brown v Erick Silva 4/9 

Pro Picks: UK MMA's Finest Weigh In on Wallhead vs Roberts

Pro Picks: UK MMA's Finest Weigh In on Wallhead vs Roberts

by  Chris Houten - @mrhouts

On Saturday night two of the best Welterweights in the UK will meet in the cage in a bout that will likely determine who is the number one contender in a ridiculously stacked Cage Warriors welterweight division. One, is one of the best welterweights the UK has ever known with over 10 years of professional MMA experience, the other a game newcomer tipped for the top. The two men in question are Jim Wallhead and Danny Roberts, and Saturday night will see both men go toe-to-toe in one of the biggest fights the UK sees this year.

So who wins? We caught up with over 25 of the finest fighters from the UK and Ireland to ask them how they see the big fight going. From Cage Warriors champions, to Bamma stars, to UFC standouts and even a couple of Bellator fighters. We have got their opinions on Wallhead vs Roberts, who wins, how they win, and exactly why you need to watch it.

Brett Johns
Cage Warriors Bantamweight, Former Cage Warriors Champion | Twitter: @36johns
I genuinely dont know how that fight is going to go down, im a big fan of both of these guys! I really like Danny, he's a sound guy and im a big fan of his fighting style, but I think Jimmy has an edge on the experience side of things, fighting for a world title and his time in Bellator. I think this will be an edge in this fight! I dont want to pick a winner but I got Jimmy wallhead by decision! Although im not counting "Hot Chocolate" out - Good luck lads!

Prediction: Jim Wallhead - Decision

Phil Harris
UFC Flyweight | Twitter: @Philharrismma
I would say Wallhead by decision.

Prediction: Jim Wallhead - Decision

Benny Alloway
Cage Warriors Welterweight, Former UFC Welterweight | Twitter: @bennyblancomma
Tough one to call, it could be fight of the year or it could fizzle out. I'd say Wallhead by decision.

Prediction: Jim Wallhead - Decision

Colin Fletcher
Bamma Lightweight, Former UFC Lightweight | Twitter: @dr_freakshow
Im gonna go Jimmy via 2nd round ground n poudskius maximus

Prediction: Jim Wallhead - TKO / KO RD 2

Jack Mason
Cage Warriors Welterweight | Twitter: @JackStoneMason
This is a great fight, probably one of the biggest domestic fights this year to be honest. I’m a fan of both and they are both great guys but I’m not going to sit on the fence on this one; I think Roberts takes this fight, he’s solid in all areas, his stand up is great, his wrestling is good and his grappling is very underrated. Wallhead is very well rounded too and has big fight experience, I just think the X factor here is Roberts athleticism and will to win. I see Roberts taking this by decision beating Wallhead to the punch standing and taking Wallhead down synching the rounds on the judge’s scorecards.

Prediction: Danny Roberts - Decision

Walter Gahadza
UWC Welterweight Champion | Twitter: @WalterGahadza
This will bee a very good fight. I'll go with Wallhead, experience and versatile style.

Prediction: Jim Wallhead - No Method Given

Curt Warburton
Cage Warriors Lightweight, Former Bamma Lightweight Champion | Twitter: @curtwarburton
That's a tough one. Wallhead is one of the best WW in Europe and Roberts has not fought anyone like Wallhead before, but saying that Roberts is growing with each fight and we have not seen the best of his striking just yet.... I Am just concerned the Wallhead fight will come to soon. If Wallhead turns it into a wrestling fight with G&P I see him winning. If not it could go either way.

Prediction: None Given 

Jimi Manuwa
UFC Light-Heavyweight | Twitter: @posterboyjm
Wallhead stoppage

Prediction: Jim Wallhead - TKO or Submission

Rob Sinclair
Bellator Lightweight, Former Bamma Lightweight Champion | Twitter: @robc4sinclair
I think Wallhead will win a decision. I think he will find away to use his experience to nullify Roberts boxing speed. Wallhead, decision win.

Prediction: Jim Wallhead - Decision

Ryan Scope
Bamma & Made 4 the Cage Welterweight | Twitter: @ryanscope1
I've trained with Jimmy a few times so gotta go with him. Roberts is really good but I think Jimmys experience and toughness will win him the fight.

Prediction: Jim Wallhead - No Method Given

Lewis Long
Cage Warriors Lightweight | Twitter: @lew_long
It's a fucking cracking fight !! I can see wallhead taking the UD.

Prediction: Jim Wallhead - Decision

Paul Redmond
Cage Warriors Lightweight | Twitter: @RedserMma
Seen Danny's last few fights and he's looked really impressive, his standup is really crisp. As everyone knows Jimmys got some tasty throws and serious submissions. Roberts did well with the last grappler he faced but Jim's on the next level. If he can avoid the takedowns and keep it on the outside with strikes, plus its in his hometown it will defo give him an advantage. I got Roberts by Decision

Prediction: Danny Roberts - Decision

Michael Page
Bellator Welterweight | Twitter: @michaelpage247
Well Jimmy has done his training camp here with me at London Shoot so I’ve seen first hand what he’s going to do to Roberts. He’s going to man handle him plan and simple and if he’s feeling friendly end his night early with a KO

Prediction: Jim Wallhead - TKO / KO

Spencer Hewitt
Cage Warriors Flyweight | Twitter: @hewittmma
Bro, I think its going to be a war. Could go either way as both are top fighters. I can't predict who will win but think its not going 3 rounds.

Prediction: None Given 

Alex Enlund
Cage Warriors Featherweight | Twitter: @alexenlund
I actually don't have a clue,  that' why I am so excited to see it. Both guys could win but I expect it to be a decision.

Prediction: None Given

Shajidul Haque
Cage Warriors Flyweight | Twitter: @supermanshaj
I haven't seen too much either fighter, but from what I have, I think the fight will go the distance, and Roberts will win the decision.

Prediction: Danny Roberts - Decision

Chi Lewis-Perry
ONE FC Heavyweight | Twitter:  @ThebossmanCLP
I like Wallhead for this match up. I like his aggressive one pace style - never afraid to go forward even when hurt, that's tough to deal with. I see his constant pressure going the distance but winning him a unanimous decision.

Prediction: Jim Wallhead - Decision

Benny Carr
Bamma Welterweight | Twitter: @BennyCarrMMA
I predict Wallhead wins via that left hook in 2nd round.

Prediction: Jim Wallhead - TKO / KO RD 2

Matt Inman
Cage Warriors Welterweight | Twitter: @mattinman86
I'm siding with the underdog on this one, most people I've talked to about this are saying Jimmy but I think Danny has a really tricky and fast southpaw style and he can grind it out when he needs to, I think he goes in as the hungrier fighter with more to gain, and the home crowd factor shouldn't be underestimated. Very hard fight to call though.

Prediction: Danny Roberts - Decision

Jason Cooledge
Cage Warriors Lightweight | Twitter: @theanimaljac
I think Roberts takes the fight on a close decision, he will stay on the outside and out point to win.

Prediction: Jim Wallhead - Decision

Lee Chadwick
OMMAC & FCC Middleweight Champion | Twitter: @Lee_the_butcher
I think Danny will win via TKO or decision. It'll be a tough fight for both fighters.

Prediction: Danny Roberts - TKO or Decision

Jordan Desborough
Cage Warriors Bantamweight | Twitter: @TeamHandsomeMMA
The match up between Wallhead and Roberts is undoubtedly one if the best domestic MMA fights we will see this year. Roberts is a top Contender in the Cage Warriors welterweight division and in my opinion a future champion. Having said that I think Wallhead's experience and fighting style will be too much of a problem for Roberts at the present time and can see him winning a decision. The experience in big fights could be a deciding factor. Whoever wins on May 3rd will cement their place as the Number one contender to the welterweight title.

Prediction: Jim Wallhead - Decision

Jake Bostwick
Cage Warriors Welterweight | Twitter: @jakebostwick
It's a very tough fight for them both but think Wallhead could grind the fight and take a decision! If it's a striking game then it’s Roberts fight! A very interesting match up

Prediction: None Given

Jason Ball
Cage Warriors Lightweight | Twitter: @Daddycoolmma
Wallhead has the experience, Roberts has the record. I'm going Judo Jimmy by decision.

Prediction: Jim Wallhead - Decision

Neil Seery
UFC Flyweight, Former Cage Warriors Flyweight Champion | Twitter: @NeilSeeryMMA
Think it will be a cracking fight. If Wallhead turns up to fight the way he can its all his

Prediction: Jim Wallhead - No Method Given

Tim Newman
Bamma Lightweight | Twitter: @timnewman9
Wallhead wins! He's too experienced in all areas of the game. He'll get the TKO in RD 3.

Prediction: Jim Wallhead - TKO RD 3

Charlie Watts
Cage Warriors Welterweight | Twitter: @watts_charlie
I'm with Danny Roberts

Prediction: Danny Roberts - No Method Given

Thats what the pro's think, let us know who you think will win in the comments section.

Is Cage Warriors 170lb division the most stacked division in European MMA

Kingdom MMA Review the Cage Warriors Welterweight Division

by Sam Heard @SamHeard_

May 3rd will see some of Europe’s most promising MMA talents throw down as part of the stacked Cage Warriors 68 card, hosted in Liverpool’s Echo Arena. Though we will see several bouts take place which will have a profound impact on their respective weight divisions, this event is particularly geared towards the Welterweight class. In recent months the always-strong 170-lb division of Europe’s leading MMA promotion has become increasingly stacked with an array of both new and returning fighters. Since former champions Cathal Pendred (13-2 MMA, 6-0 CWFC) made the decision to relinquish his belt and enter TUF 19 with the chance to eventually fight in the UFC, Cage Warrior’s Welterweight division has become extremely open with many potential challengers to the belt. Here is Kingdom MMA’s breakdown of arguably the most stacked division in European MMA:

Nicolas Dalby (12-0 MMA, 1-0 CWFC)

Currently the man with the target on his back and the Cage Warriors gold around his waist, the unbeaten Danish fighter looked venomous in his last bout as he dispatched Sergei Churilov midway through the third round with a beautiful head kick which lead to the TKO victory by ground strikes. Getting a finish this late in the fight highlights not only the 29-year-olds impressive cardio but also how dangerous he remains throughout the fight. Dalby’s fight for the Welterweight belt was also his debut for the promotion, demonstrating just how highly rated this fighter is – it will be interesting to see how he performs against the long list of potential challengers queuing up in Cage Warrior’s 170-lb Division. 

Jimmy “Judo” Wallhead (25-8 MMA, 10-5 CWFC)

The first half of Saturday’s main event, Wallhead – who launched his career at Cage Warriors in 2005 – makes his promotional return after racking up a wealth of experience at M-1, Bellator and BAMMA. Jimmy uses his high level black belt in judo to dominate his opponents with heavy hands and a crippling submission game; of his 25 wins only 7 have hit the judges’ scorecards. Most recently Wallhead proved his judo base to be just as effective as a fighter with a background in amateur wrestling as he knocked out Florent Betorangal with a huge slam 20-seconds into the third round. Wallhead has been victorious over UFC-calibre opponents like Igor Araujo, Matt Veach and two-time title contender Frank Trigg. Now having once again joined Cage Warrior’s ranks, Wallhead will be a force to be reckoned with.

Danny “Hot Chocolate” Roberts (10-1 MMA, 5-0 CWFC)

The man who will be stood across the cage from Jimmy Wallhead at Cage Warriors 68, Danny “Hot Chocolate” Roberts has the difficult task of welcoming the Leicester-native back to the promotion. While the superior experience of Wallhead makes him the favourite going into Saturday’s main event, Danny has been fighting about as hot as his nickname suggests, currently riding an impressive 4-fight win steak which includes an Armbar victory over Jack Mason. Mason – who is every bit as experienced as Wallhead – is another Welterweight contender and Danny’s victory over him proved that experience really isn’t everything. “Hot Chocolate” is a well-rounded fighter and will look to employ his length and speed advantages to ruin Wallhead’s homecoming party. Liverpool is Danny’s adoptive home city and the natives will be vocal in their support of the young fighter. The winner of this bout looks likely to be next in line to face Nicholas Dalby.

Matt Inman (13-5 MMA, 4-1 CWFC)

After a faulty start in Cage Warriors with a loss to the incredibly tough Jack Mason, Inman has been tearing through every 170-lber unlucky enough to find himself opposing the Manchester-based fighter. Matt is a big fellow for the weight-class measuring a lengthy 6’1” and uses his long frame to his advantage for his killer striking arsenal and equally skilled submission-game. Of Inman’s 13 wins 6 have come via KO/TKO and 6 via submissions – Inman has pulled off a wide array of submissions including Guillotines, Triangles and even a Heel-Hook! On Saturday Inman will face a tough opponent in Mauro “Xuxa” Chimento Jr (15-10 MMA, 1-1 CWFC) who, in keeping with his Brazillian roots, is primarily a BJJ specialist who fought his first pro-MMA fight in 2001. If he overcomes this veteran of the sport Inman will be on a five fight streak and should be nearing a title shot.

Benny “Benny Blanco” Alloway (13-5 MMA, 2-0 CWFC)

A veteran of The Ultimate fighter and the UFC, Benny Alloway bounced back from being prematurely cut from the UFC with a closely-fought decision victory over Jack Mason. The outspoken Aussie is known for his dangerous striking, advancing to the quarter finals of the TUF: Smashes tournament with a second round knockout of the far larger Valentino Petrescu and also knocking out Manuel Rodriguez in the first round with a devastating front kick and strikes. In his two stints at Cage Warriors Benny has remained unbeaten against some of the toughest opponents the division has to offer. Alloway will be watching the two crucial welterweight bouts on this Saturday’s card which could potentially determine who his next opponent in the promotion will be.

Jack “Stone” Mason (27-13 MMA, 9-6 CWFC)

A fighter which has already been mentioned several times during this examination of Cage Warriors’ Welterweight division, Jack Mason always seems to be involved in the upper-end of the division’s activity. Having lost a close some may say controversial decision to Benny Alloway in March, Jack bounced back just over one month later with a victory over former training partner Patrick Vallee. This desire to immediately get back on the horse after a loss is typical of Jack Mason’s grit. What is not so typical of Jack Mason is that his past 3 fights have gone to a decision – since his debut all the way back in 2005 Jack has been a proven finisher, with a particular tendency towards getting a hold of the throat of his opponent and using his remarkable strength to choke them out.

Sergei Churilov (15-2 MMA, 1-1 CWFC)

Though his most recent bout saw him losing to Nicholas Dalby for the vacant Welterweight belt, it would be unwise to rule the young Ukrainian out of making another run at the title. The fight against Dalby was remarkably close coming into the fourth and many actually had Churilov winning on their scorecards. It was all the more devastating therefore when he ate that big head kick and was eventually knocked out to the joy of the pro-Dalby Dannish crowd. This was only Churilov’s second loss however and it would be crazy to think he couldn’t bounce back. The 28-year-old has a mean submission game and went into the title fight having won his preceding three bouts via submission. This was his first bout in Cage Warriors since early-2012 – in his other fight for the promotion he beat Anatoly Starodubtsev via first round Achilles Lock.

Gael Grimaud (19-6 MMA, 3-1 CWFC)

The man who originally lost his belt to Cathal Pendred, Gael Grimaud will certainly be seeking to regain his lost championship gold. The Frenchman was riding an eight fight unbeaten streak until the Irishman came and defeated him. Since then Gael has bounced back with a brace of wins, most recently with a brutal first round KO over Bruno Carvalho. Though we knew Grimaud packed a punch, the 24-year-old was primarily known for being able to submit his opponents with 12 of his 19 wins coming in this way. Gael has a wealth of high-level MMA experience, having picked up wins both in M-1 and Pancrace. With the aforementioned KO victory coming back in October, we hope to see Grimaud continue his winning ways soon.

Jake “Brutal” Bostwick (14-8 MMA, 2-0 CWFC) 

Yet another contender in the welterweight division to have once tangoed with Jack Mason, Jake Bostwick’s fighting career started slow but has gathered a great deal of momentum in recent years. Indeed, by the end of 2008 Bostwick’s record was a disappointing 3-7. However, since 2010 Bostwick has really earned his nickname of “Brutal”, stringing together seven impressive victories (four of which came via KO/TKO). Though he is yet to pick up a stoppage in his Cage Warriors career, he has looked extremely impressive picking up two one-sided unanimous decision victories. The man who was once blasted with a KO from the knee of one Alex Reid has certainly come a long way since the early days in his MMA career. With the momentum he has built up since 2010 there is no sign of Bostwick slowing down.

Simeon “The Grin” Thoresen (17-4 MMA, 1-0 CWFC)

Since his one Cage Warriors bout way back in 2008, this super-talented submission specialist has been climbing the ladder eventually reaching the heights of the UFC. He even picked up that all-important victory inside the Octagon choking out Besam Yousef on the UFC on Fuel TV 2 card in Sweden. However, back-to-back loses meant that he was cut from the promotion and so now finds himself back with Cage Warriors. Though he may no longer be in the UFC, Thoresen has a legitimate chance of becoming the Cage Warrior’s welterweight champion which would certainly be some consolation. The guy is a legitimate grappler, having picked up 15 of his 17 victories through various different submissions. He is scheduled to fight Jake “Brutal” Bostwick in his first bout back in the promotion, a fighter who certainly has the tools to be a real threat to the Swede.

UFC 172 - UK Betting Odds (Updated)

UFC 172 - UK Betting Odds

The UFC train continues this weekend with UFC 172, and with it comes a chance to make some serious cash with the right bet. Kingdom MMA have teamed up with William Hill to bring those who fancy a little flutter the latest clear cut, betting odds - Good Luck, and don't miss out on your free £25 bet below!

Preliminary Card

4/5 Chris Beal v Patrick Williams EVS
1/3 Danny Castillo v Charlie Brenneman 9/4 
10/11 Jessamyn Duke v Bethe Correia 4/5 
8/15 Takanori Gomi vs. Isaac Vallie-Flagg 6/4
1/4 Joseph Benavidez v Tim Elliott 3/1

Main Card
13/10 Max Holloway v Andre Fili 8/13
8/15 Jim Miller v Yancy Medeiros 6/4
6/1 Tim Boetsch v Luke Rockhold 1/11
4/9 Phil Davis v Anthony Johnson 7/4
1/6 Jon Jones v Glover Teixeira 4/1
* Blue denotes favourite 

Roundtable: What's Next for Michael Bisping?

Roundtable: What's Next for Michael Bisping?
Kingdom MMA Staff

Following Wednesday devastating loss to Tim Kennedy, Kingdom MMA discusses what's next for the poster boy of UK MMA, Michael Bisping.

Ben Heather - @benheather

What's next for Michael Bisping? I've been asking myself this question for the past two days and I've not really got any closer to a definitive answer in my mind. What I have got are a couple of suggestions though:

1) Bisping needs to get affiliated with a big camp and have a big named head coach, someone like Greg Jackson or John Crouch would really help Michael get back to fighting how we know he can. On Wednesday night the Bisping we all know and love unfortunately didn't show up and not only this, from what I could hear (having watched it back a couple of times) his corner didn't seem to help him during the rounds. The best I heard was "come on Mike you got to get up" but didn't suggest any possible ways to help improve the position or to actually get up.

The whole reason we have been told Bisping moved to The States was to get the best training partners and facilities available, but since going out to The States has pretty much won a fight, lost a fight with no win streaks or consistency. Yes he is fighting better fighters - until Wednesday anyway, but if he wants to get that title shot now he needs to win at least 3 fights and against very tough opponents.

I still believe the old Bisping before his eye surgery would beat Kennedy 9/10 times.

2) Who's next for bisping. The best thing that could happen for Bisping is that Luke Rockhold beats Tim Boetsch next Saturday and then Bisping can try and trash talk his way in to that fight which Rockhold has been calling for, for a long time. A win over Rockhold keeps Bisping in the top 10 but he'd still have to win a couple more to get the title shot he craves so much.

It's now a long road to the top for Bisping and it's not going to be easy at all. As for when I expect to see him fight again, well he gets married next month so I think you will be looking at the end of summer August / September earliest, and I really hope we see the old Bisping return to the octagon.

Chris Mazella - @chrismarzella

Going into the Kennedy fight I practically knew it was going the distance. Bisping would either box his way to a decision or Kennedy would wrestle the win away from him.

Despite the work he has done over the years, Bisping's wrestling is still suspect. If you put him up against a high level wrestler who has wrestled their whole life then he's just not going to win.

You really can't put any argument about that fight. It was a snoozer. Don't get me wrong, Bisping was going for it, but when a guy has the sole intention of taking you down and laying on top of you for 25 minutes there's not much you can do. To be fair to Bisping, he was coming off of a serious, potentially career threatening injury. Although it didn't show, there's no telling the impact that had on him and his performance.

Bisping is now in a tricky spot. Where does he go from here? He's 2-3 in his last five fights and hasn't finished anybody in Mayhem Miller in December 2011. Despite all that, he is still a draw. On a weekly basis there are countless call out from up and down the middleweight division, so there will always be fights out there for him.

I've seen calls for him to retire. He is nowhere near that stage yet. He's still competitive in the division.

There are two fights I would really like to see him in now.

Firstly, Mark Munoz. Both guys are at a similar stage of the career. Mid thirties. coming off of losses, floating around in no-mans-land in the rankings with no realistic hope of an imminent title shot. Munoz still has the small matter of taking care of business when he meets  Gegard Mousasi in Berlin on May 31. Regardless of the outcome of that fight, Bisping vs Munoz peaks my interest, it has the potential to be a war.

The alternative option would be Luke Rockhold. Rockhold sits in the top five, with a fight with Tim Boetsch set for UFC 172 in Baltimore. We already know Bisping and Rockhold don't like each other. Rockhold is the newer breed of fighter making his way up in the standings. Bisping may be the ultimate test for him and as far as Bisping is concerned, beating an up and coming fighter propels him back to where he wants to be.

For now let's end talk of Bisping retiring and hop that he get one of these two fights next.

Sam Heard - @samheard_

No one will ever doubt Michael Bisping’s ability to sell a fight but after Wednesday’s performance at the TUF Nations Finale there are those who now question his fighting ability. I was shocked when I read more than one person suggest that it might be time for The Count to hang up his gloves. Granted, his performance against Tim Kennedy was shockingly tentative, sluggish and generally underwhelming but we have on more than one occasion seen a fighter have a disappointing performance only to drop bombs in their next outing. It wasn’t so long ago that people were bleating on about how Shogun should retire after he was easily dispatched by Chael Sonnen only for the chorus of ‘OMG SHOGUN IS BACK’ to start on twitter after he hammered James Te Huna. Just because Mike lost a fight we all thought he should’ve won doesn’t mean his career is over. He was coming back from a long layoff having suffered a career-threatening injury so it was understandable that there were a few cobwebs.

Though the queue for a MW title shot seems to be getting ever longer, all Bisping can do for now is attempt to get back in the W column against a tough opponent and I believe that – dependent on their performances in Berlin – Bisping should be given the winner of Mark Munoz Vs. Gegard Mousasi. If Munoz wins this will mean they get to have the fight Bisping was forced to pull out of due to injury back in October while if Mousasi is victorious we will get to see a stand-up war between two high level strikers (rather than someone like Tim Kennedy lay on top of Bisping for 25-minutes). These are two match-ups I definitely like and were Bisping able to prevail over the winner of UFC FN 42’s Main Event he would definitely keep himself relevant in the division and get back some of his lost confidence.

Roundtable: Where Should Jake Shields Fight Next

Roundtable: Where Should Jake Shields Fight Next

With news breaking earlier this week that top 10 welterweight Jake Shields had been release from the UFC, Kingdom MMA writers Chris Houten, Chris Marzella, and Alex Dillon take a look at what the future may hold for Jake Shields.

Chris Houten - @Mrhouts
The UFC is the best organisation for mixed martial arts in the world, the same way the English premier league is arguably the best football league in the world, therefore both should be made up of the best of the best. In the case of the premier league, you would expect to see the best teams in the league, the same way you would expect to see the best fighters signed to the UFC. In the premier league the 3 worse teams go down, while boring to watch teams like Stoke City hang around because they did what they had to get the victories..... boring or not.  Why? Because football is a sport first and foremost, where the best compete against each other.

Jake Shields is the Stoke City of MMA, no one really wants to watch him, but if the UFC is truly a sport and the biggest league in its sports, then surely entertainment shouldn't come into it and we shouldn't even be having this conversation.

If Jake Shields is looking at his future beyond fighting then the offer from newly formed Titan FC his manager Lex McMahon mention on the MMA hour on Monday which includes equity might be the way Shields goes. He could may also consider ONE FC who by all accounts were willing to pay more than anyone else for similarly boring Ben Askren. From a competitive stand point though I'd like see Shields join WSOF where the best Welterweights outside the UFC reside. With the like of Palharus, Fitch, and Burkman as well as former champ Steve Carl, there is there is enough tough guys in World Series of Fighting to keep Jake Shields fighting at a competitive level and if he is still interested in competing for glory I expect WSOF to be his next home.

Chris Marzella - @ChrisMarzella
Once again we find ourselves talking about a guy firmly in the upper bracket of title contenders being cut. We've had Jon Fitch, Yushin Okami and now Jake Shields. The thing with Shields is his record. Look at the list of guys he has beaten recently. Tyron Woodley, Demian Maia, both guys who have been discussed as title challengers themselves. Shields was brutalised by Hector Lombard but I really don't think that lowers his stock much at all.

You need to look at what's best for Jake now. Does he want the biggest and best fights? Or does he want to make a quick buck? He's 35-years-old now and will probably have one big contract left in him at this point. I can't see him heading to Bellator because quite frankly their welterweight division isn't worth much at all. Without wanting to sound disrespectful, theor 170-pound division is so far below Shields level it's scary.

The more exciting prospect is seeing him head on over to the World Series of Fighting and into a budding 170-pound division with exciting, credible challenges for him. Palhares, Burkman, Fitch, Carl. The welterweights is one division WSOF can use as its flagship weightclass and would be a perfect fit for Shields.

Outside of those two there is always of a one off with Ben Askren over at One FC.but then again, where does he go after that fight.

I for one am hoping to see Jake Shields in an WSOF cage in the near future.

Alex Dillon - @_alexdillon_
If I could sum up Jake Shields’ UFC run in one word it would have to be ‘disappointing’. Before his UFC stint, he defeated elite level fighters such as Dan Henderson, Robbie Lawler and Carlos Condit which certainly had me thinking this guy could actually beat GSP when the time came. Ever since that fight he’s been on and off squeaking through fights with a few split decisions so to speak. There could also be the argument that he ‘peaked’ a long time ago and just didn’t have it anymore once he arrived in the UFC.

Dana wasn’t wrong when he recently referred to him as just ‘another guy’ in my eyes he’s not someone who can sell a UFC PPV or even put bums on seats for a Fight Night card.

So where does he go from here? Well the obvious route in my opinion is WSOF, you’ve got Rousimar Palhares who’s the 170lb champion there as well as Jon Fitch who’s the #1 contender. Two really intriguing match ups for Shields, both are elite BJJ guys just like Shields. On a more interesting note, Shields never managed to face either in the UFC so WSOF have a selling point already. Shields will also undoubtedly get a good contract there as well as opportunities to fight for the Welterweight belt so I can’t see a better option for him going forward.

Mutual Opponent Joe Orrey Weighs In On Brett Johns vs James Brum

Mutual Opponent Joe Orrey Weighs In On Brett Johns and James Brum
by Chris Houten - @mrhouts

On Saturday night at The LC in Swansea, 2 of the best bantamweights in Europe will meet to determine who is next to sit atop of the Cage warriors 135lb division, looking down on would be challengers.

The man holding the belt is 22-year old Brett Johns, a Judo black belt with a perfect 9-0 professional record dating back to 2012 when he made his pro debut after racking up a 5-0 amateur record. A former British champion with Pain Pit, Johns signed for Cage Warriors in 2013 where he took on James MacAlister at Cage Warriors 54 who he defeated via TKO before going on to earn decision victories over David Haggstrom and Jordan Desborough at Cage Warriors 59's 4 man Bantamweight tournament to win the Cage Warriors bantamweight title and earn his place amongst the best in Europe.

His opponent James Brum has been on a tear, rattling off 9 straight victories since 2011 earning a reputation as one of the most dangerous 135lber in Europe. With 8 impressive wins under the Cage Warriors banner Brum has not only earned his shot at the belt, he's earned the right to be considered one of these fighters in Europe.

One man who knows just how good both men are is Welsh Bantamweight Joe Orrey of Tillery Combat who has faced both men inside the cage, and feels both men can expect a tough fight this Saturday:

'I think it's a really tough fight for both guys. There both at the top of the game at the moment and on massive win streaks'

Having fought Brum early in his career at Shock N Awe 5, and Brett Johns at Pain Pit 6 for the British Bantamweight title, it's safe to say Orrey knows better than most what both Brum and Johns do well, and while he knows this is a tough fight for both men, he's confident that one man goes into the bout with the edge:

'For me I got to give the fight to Brett, I just think he's slightly better in all areas.' Said Orrey.

'He's such a hard working lad. Having been lucky enough to train with him after our fight, he's so level headed and grounded for a young lad who's already achieved so much. I'll be be rooting for him on the night to keep the belt in Wales!'

Cage Warriors 67 takes place April 12th at The LC in Swansea, Wales. North American viewer can watch the show live on MMAjunkie beginning at 9 p.m. GMT (4 p.m ET / 1 p.m. PT). Other viewers can catch the event at cagewarriors.tv.

You can follow Joe Orrey on twitter - @joeorrey

Who Should the Brits Face Following UFC London

Who Should the Brits Face Following UFC London
by Chris Houten - mrhouts

Saturday night was a great night for fight fans in the UK, but not the best night for fighters in the UK. The cards British contingency went 2-3, with some looking fantastic, and other looking decisively poor.

We take a look at what could be next up for the winning and losing British fight on Saturday night's UFC Fight Night 37. 

Jimi Manuwa
Alexander Gustafsson gave Jimi Manuwa a tough time both on the ground and on the feet on Saturday night; it what really was a difficult fight for Manuwa so early in his UFC career. Although Manuwa may have been ready for a top 10 test having looked virtually untouchable in the first 3 bouts of his UFC career, Gustafsson proved to be to much of a test.

Matching for Manuwa's next fight could prove to be a difficult one as it take some really consideration to where he now figure in the division. Does he stay around the top 10 or does he return back to the level of fighters his was fighting before the Gustafsson bout.

A fight against the loser of Phil Davis vs Anthony Johnson seems to be on the lips of fans, which would probably be a pretty descent contest should Johnson end up the loser. Both man have excellent striking and are equally capable of finishing each other with just one shot.

I still think Davis vs Johnson loser would be a tough test for Manuwa. I'd like Manuwa to fight one step lower and fight former Strikeforce Light-Heavyweight champion Rafael Cavalcante. Cavalcante might be coming off a win in his last fight, but I don't think Manuwa should loss to much position with the loss to Gustafsson. Cavalcante also carry the skill set and tools needed to give Manuwa a great fight.

Brad Pickett
Although Pickett was able to see off a game Neil Seery 30-27 on 2 judges score cards, I feel he will need to have at least one more fight before the UFC will give him a shot at the flyweight title.

I think we wait and see whats going on with Ian McCall and set that fight up again if he expects to be back soon. Failing that there are some excellent match ups out there for Pickett in the form of Dodson, Moraga, and Lineker.

Luke Barnatt
With another impressive victory this weekend against Mats Nilsson - his 3rd in the UFC, Luke Barnatt is rapidly becoming on of the finest prospects in the Middleweight division, and is on his way to becoming a the PPV main card fighter he promised to become on the MMA Hour.

I feel like it might be time to see how far Barnatt can go and put him in there with some one from the upper echelons of middleweight division. A fight against Costas Philippou might make sense for both men with Barnatt looking for the scalp which will take him to the next level, and Philipou needing a step away from the top 10 to try and get his career back on track, having lost his last 2.

I know the UFC likes to match winners vs winners, but this fight would suit both men.

Brad Scott
Scott may feel a little hard done by following his loss at the weekend to new-comer Claudio da Silva, and will feel the fouls which took place during the fight ultimately gave a tired and beaten da Silva to regain the energy needed to win the final round, and lead to him taking the victory. In reality Scott really only has his self to blame and will need to look at his take down defend over the next few months, as he ended up losing to a guy who is probably not as good overall because he couldn't stop the shot, and was unable to get up off the ground.

While Scott isn't done and dusted yet, at 1-2 in the UFC he will be pretty desperate for a win in his next fight. A fight with fellow Ultimate Fighter contestant Daniel Sarafian could prove to be a great battle, although it may not be a bad decision to go back to 170lb where he has previously fought, and could do again with just a few tweeks to his diet.

Danny Mitchell
Danny Mitchell didn't look particularly bad in his debut, he was just a slight second behind Igor Araujo on the ground on Saturday night, and by his own admission "felt pretty flat out there."

Mitchell will be given another opportunity to make up this on an upcoming EMEA Fight Pass card, and if I had to guess I'd say one of the Asian Fight Night cards planned for the Autumn. If this happens a fight against some one like Wang Sai who was runner up in TUF China, or Takenori Sato who recently lost his debut in Brazil to Erik Silva might be on the radar for Mitchell, as both men are 0-1 in the UFC also.

Phil Harris
As sad is it will sound for British fight fans,  at 1-3 in the UFC I feel Harris may get released following his loss to Louis Gaudinot this weekend. I genuinely think Harris is a better fighter than his UFC record suggests and with the skill-set he possesses he would have a complete different record is he wasn't 125 pounder.

Harris has a had a pretty tough run since joining the promotion with all of his of opponents being top 15 guys. But that's the problem with the flyweight division, there's not many of them but they are all super good.

If Harris does get another fight, and as a fellow Brit I hope he does (it's never nice to lose one of your own), Harris should be given a real step down in competition and a bout with TUF Smashes contestant Ritchie Vaculik could provide firework, with both men desperate for a victory.

Fighter vs Writer - UFC Fight Night London: Calderwood vs Heard - THE REMATCH

Fighter vs Writer: JoJo Calderwood - UFC Fight Night London
by Ben Heather @benheather

Welcome to another Kingdom MMA fighter vs writer challenge.

For this feature we challenge some of the biggest names from the world of MMA to give us their picks and fight outcomes for specific MMA events. Then they will be challenged by one of our writers, who will make their own predictions. Previously we have challenged the likes of Dustin Poirier, Luke Barnatt, Jim Alers, Mike Wilkinson, Phil Harris, Cathal Pendred and Michael Wootten.

This weeks opponent comes in to the battle having already defeated our writer Sam Heard and will be looking to prove once again she is as good at her predictions as she is in the cage. At 8-0 she is one of the favourites to win the soon to be recorded UFC The Ultimate Fighter 20, the first season to be full of women and all of them will fight for the inaugeral UFC 115lb womens belt. She is of course Jojo Calderwood and this weekend our writer Sam Heard will be looking for revenge.

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

The Predictions

Alexander Gustafsson vs Jimi Manuwa

Calderwood: Man it gets tougher and I hate picking against some awesome fighters.

I said at last night q&a gustafsson will win in the third so I better stick to my guns.

Prediction:  Alexander Gustafsson - Submission Round 3

Heard: As a Croydon native it pains me to pick against one of my own but I think Gustafsson brings too much to the table for Jimi. Though the unbeaten prospect has seen off all his opponents in highly convincing fashion, Manuwa has never fought anyone close to the Swede’s calibre and I believe this step-up in competition will prove too great. It’s important to note also that though Manuwa is billed as the prospect, the 34-year old is getting on in MMA terms and is 7-years the senior of Alexander.

I personally would’ve preferred to see Jimi fight a fringe top-10 Light Heavyweight next rather than the guy who arguably beat Jon Jones in his last Octagon outing. The man who has never been past the second round will more than likely find himself in very deep water in a five-rounder against the aspiring 205-lbs champ.

Prediction: Alexander Gustafsson - TKO (punches) Round 4

Melvin Guillard vs Michael Johnson

Calderwood: Melvin by second round knockout, just on his explosiveness and experience.

Prediction: Melvin Guillard - KO Round 2

Heard: Though it was disappointing news to hear of Ross Pearson’s injury, I’m probably more excited to see this fight between two excellent 155-lbs strikers as I feel like we already knew Guillard had Pearson’s number.

Johnson’s so-so record has stopped me picking him in the past but after his last two performances against  top-notch opponents it’s a tall order to not hop on the Johnson hype train. I expect the huge improvements he’s made since training with the Blackzilians to come into play here, allowing him to most likely counter punch his way to victory against the explosively powerful yet inconsistent Guillard. Both men have reasonably solid chins so I expect Johnson to pick up a close, highly compelling decision.

Prediction: Michael Johnson - Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Brad Pickett vs Neil Seery

Calderwood: I'm hoping for an upset as I've been around Neil and his camp, tough tough debut though and it would be a Rocky story if he pulls it off.

Prediction: Neil Seery - TKO Round 2

Heard: While I can’t really be disappointed about the replacement Co-Main event I am certainly a bit upset with this one.

Once one of the most highly anticipated fights on the card featuring a floundering Ian McCall looking to rebound against Brad Pickett, we now see a mismatch with Brad making his Flyweight debut against a UFC debutant. I don’t expect this one to be very competitive at all. For me, it’s just a question of whether Pickett outright KOs him or rocks him on the feet before sinking in a choke.

Prediction: Brad Pickett - TKO (punches) Round 2

Gunnar Nelson vs Omari Akhmedov

Calderwood: Probably the one I'm most looking forward to, Nelson has great movement and I think the ground work in this fight will be a great watch for the fans.

Prediction: Gunnar Nelson - Submission Round 2

Heard: Another close matchup which could feasibly go either way. Nelson will likely try to get the fight to the floor where he will be able to work his terrific ground game but I feel like he might have a difficult time doing so against Akmedov’s sambo experience.

The Russian’s have been causing waves in the UFC and I think if he can keep it standing Akhmedov’s heavy hands will allow him to continue this Russian domination.

Prediction: Omari Akhmedov - KO (punch) Round 3

Cyrille Diabate vs Ilir Latifi

Calderwood: I think Latifi will wrestle his way to a decision here.

Prediction: Ilir Latifi - Decision

Heard: In this intriguing clash of a tall, rangy Light Heavyweight against a short, compact one, I expect Ilir Latifi to get the win. Though the bookies have the two at near level odds, I believe the Swede has some key advantages in this matchup. Diabate has easily fought the tougher competition but he has been around the block a bit, nearing his 41st birthday. Latifi is a decade younger and I believe his power will allow him to grind out a decision.

Prediction: Ilir Latifi - Unanimous Decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)

Luke Barnatt vs Mats Nilsson

Calderwood: I think Luke will use his reach and strike to victory, potentially even the KO of the night.

Prediction: Luke Barnatt - KO Round 2

Heard: The card’s other clash of a Brit and a Swede and this time I can say that I comfortably expect the Englishman to be victorious. Though Nilsson has shown himself to be a force to be reckoned with at Cage Warriors, it’s very hard to pick against Luke after that amazing UFC fight in Manchester.

Prediction: Luke Barnatt - TKO (punches) Round 2

Brad Scott vs Claudio Henrique da Silva

Calderwood: Brad will be better than Claudio in all areas in this fight.

Prediction: Brad Scott - Decision

Heard: I believe Brad is a criminally underrated fighter and his experience against superior opponents and the fact that this is now his third UFC fight will get him the win over the London-based Brazilian. Silva hasn’t been finished before however and his only loss came by DQ so it should be a competitive decision victory for Brad.

Prediction: Brad Scott by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

Davey Grant vs Roland Delorme

Calderwood: I really like watching Davey Grant on TUF and he will win this fight.

Prediction: Davey Grant - TKO Round 3

Heard: I expect this one to be a Fight of the Night candidate. Both guys keep up a high tempo and mix it up well. However, once again I’m going to have to follow my mind instead of my heart to ensure I beat JoJo this time around and say that Delorme wins a thrilling decision.

In his last fight he lost a very debatable split decision to Alex Caceres who has since looked like a world beater in the Bantamweight division. I believe Davey Grant is undeniably UFC calibre but Roland Delorme is a stud.

Prediction: Roland Delorme - Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

Igor Araujo vs Danny Mitchell

Calderwood: I see Danny Mitchell pulling off a reversed flying 360 triangle or something crazy.

Prediction: Danny Mitchell - Submission Round 2

Heard: Another clash of grapplers and another difficult pick. I’m going to pick on the side of caution and say that the more experienced Brazilian who has already picked up his first win in the Octagon will continue his run and add a brace of UFC wins to his record.

Prediction: Igor Araujo - Submission Round 3

Phil Harris vs Louis Gaudinot

Calderwood: This will be a competitive fight, but I think Phil will edge it.

Prediction: Harris - Decision

Heard: This one is a tough one to call as both flyweights favour their submission games rather than trading strikes so the question is really who is the more competent grappler (and unfortunately also who has a style which will appeal to the fickle judges more).

This could well be because Phil Harris is such a credit to the world of MMA, but I believe he’s going to land some big Judo throws which will send everyone in the crowd wild and get some vital top position to win a close decision.

Prediction: Phil Harris - Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

So that's our predictions for the fights, we will be live tweeting on Saturday night as always and we will keep you all informed as to how the challenge is going with latest scores throughout the main card.

Thanks again to JoJo for providing us with her picks for this weekends fights and it just leaves me to say.... May the best man or woman win!!

UFC London: Gustafsson vs Manuwa - UK Betting Odds

UFC London: Gustafsson vs Manuwa - UK Betting Odds

The UFC is back this weekend from the shores of Blighty, no only giving us British fans the opportunity to cheer on our local lads, but a chance to make some serious cash with the right bet. Kingdom MMA have teamed up with William Hill to bring those who fancy a little flutter the latest clear cut, betting odds - Good Luck, and don't miss out on your free £25 bet below!

Preliminary Card
6/4 Phil Harris v Louis Gaudinot 8/15 
4/7 Igor Araujo v Danny Mitchell 11/8
10/11 Davey Grant v Roland Delorme 10/11
8/15 Brad Scott v Claudio Henrique da Silva 6/4
4/11 Luke Barnatt v Mats Nilsson 21/10
10/11 Cyrille Diabate v Ilir Latifi 10/11

Main Card
1/3 Gunnar Nelson v Omari Akhmedov 9/4
1/6 Brad Pickett v Neil Seery 4/1
4/5 Michael Johnson v Melvin Guillard EVS
1/4 Alexander Gustafsson v Jimi Manuwa 3/1

What's next for the winnners of UFC Fight Night 36

Kingdom MMA look at what’s next for the winners of UFC FN36?

by Sam Heard @SamHeard_

Lyoto Machida
Next fight: Winner of Chris Weidman vs. Vitor Belfort (UFC 173)

Now 2-0 at Middleweight against a pair of the most dangerous fighter on the UFC roster, it would be a bold statement to suggest that Machida isn’t deserving of the next pop at the 185-lbs belt.

His speed and technical striking advantage over former Strikeforce LHW champion Gegard Mousasi were plain to see, meriting him a one-sided decision victory after five rounds. It’s worth mentioning that against virtually any other opponent Machida’s performance probably would’ve earned the stoppage – Gegard ate several huge kicks directly to the jaw which would’ve been more than enough to drop most other middleweights (and indeed smaller African elephants).

Though he hobbled after his victory, this could well work to his advantage in his pursuit of being given the next title shot. Weidman and Belfort won’t be throwing down until May 24th which means either way Machida will be forced to wait and his foot injury will prevent him being given a match-up before then.

Ronaldo Souza
Next fight: Winner of Luke Rockhold vs. Tim Boetsch (UFC 173)

There’s no denying that Souza fell behind Machida in the race to secure the next no1 contender spot.

While he was mostly untroubled against Francis Carmont, I can’t help but think he should’ve been able to secure the submission victory from the dangerous ground positions he managed to take against the Frenchman. Going into Saturday’s fight, three of Carmont’s seven career loses had come via submission so expecting someone with Jacare’s BJJ credentials to submit a fighter having taken their back multiple times isn’t a big ask.

I find the UFC’s matching of Rockhold – who looked awesome in his last appearance – against middle-of-the-line Boetsch pretty strange. If, as most fans are expecting, Rockhold beats Boetsch, Joe Silva should arrange the rematch of Rockhold and Jacare, the winner potentially being next in line after Machida.

Erick Silva
Next fight: Brandon Thatch

Silva’s match up went according to the script as he immediately blasted through heavy-underdog Takenori Sako on Saturday night.

Silva can be a tricky fighter to matchmaker for. He looks like a world-beater against lower-level UFC welterweights but as soon as he takes a step-up in competition, he finds his momentum crushed by another loss (admittedly in the loss to Dong Hyun Kim he had been dominating until the KO). I believe that if Silva actually manages to amass a few consecutive UFC wins he could be a real contender in the 170-lbs division.

A clash with the massively-hyped prospect Brandon Thatch – who had stopped all 10 of his last opponents in the very first round – would be an amazing match up. Both fighters have similar offence-based styles so seeing the two in the octagon would surely be exciting from the start. A win for either of them against the other would more than likely buy their place into the division’s top ten rankings.

Nicholas Musoke
Next fight: Winner of Thiago Alves vs. Seth Baczynski (UFC on Fox 11)

Picking up the win on Saturday in front of a hostile Brazilian crowd (and in spite of a horrific looking groin shot in round three), Swedish Nicholas Musoke looked highly impressive.

A fight with the winner of Thiago Alves and Seth Baczynski makes a lot of sense. Alves hasn’t fought for the last two years and cannot expect to jump back to the top of the Welterweight division where he once resided. Assuming he wins against Baczynski, a fight against the impressive Nicholas Musoke would be perfect in his quest to re-establish his status in the division.

Charles Oliveira
Next fight: Felipe Arantes

Charles Oliveira finds himself in a state of limbo, comfortably dealing with opponents outside of the Featherweight division’s top-ten but then stumbling against the likes of Frankie Edgar and Cub Swanson. He made a difficult opponent in Andy Ogle look second-rate, eventually submitting him in the third round.

Only just coming off his two fight skid, it’s too soon to give Oliveira another top-ranked opponent. Instead, he should be given the opportunity to garner some consecutive wins against respected opponents like Ogle so he can build some momentum and self-confidence.

A perfect opponent for his next fight would be Felipe Arantes who, like Oliveira, was victorious on Saturday against Maximo Blanco. Arantes would be given a hike in competition and the chance to put himself on the map while Oliveira would confirm his talent by acquiring another UFC win.

Roundtable: Does Andy Ogle Deserve Another Fight in The UFC?

Roundtable: Does Andy Ogle Deserve Another Fight in The UFC?

On Saturday night Newcastle's Andy Ogle fought Charles Oliveira in Brazil at UFC Fight Night 36. A huge underdog going into the fight Ogle put in a noble effort arguable winning round 2 and looking good to take the third round as well before being caught in a triangle choke from the submission specialist which ultimately led to Ogle's 2 loss in a row, and 3rd in his last 4.

While Ogle has proved he is a tough guy taking on some real tough guys in his time with the UFC, one has to start questioning at 1-3 since making his debut for the promotion, how long will Dana and co. keep the 25-year old around.

The team at kingdom MMA discuss whether Andy Ogle deserves another fight, or if the bout with Oliveira will be his last under the promotion.

Chris Houten - @mrhouts
I've been impressed with Ogle since making his debut, the guy has held his own in some pretty tough fights. Although 1-3 in his last 4 fights,  Ogle is a better fighter than his UFC record suggests.

Since making his UFC debut at UFC on Fuel 5, Ogle has had a hellish run fighting top featherweights such as Oliveira, Cole Miller, Josh Grispi and Akira Corassani, and to his credit, he has held his own - its fair to say he has done himself and the UK proud.

Although Ogle hasn't looked like he could finish any of the opponents he has faced, which could ultimately be his downfall in the argument if he deserves another fight in the UFC, Ogle has shown excellent grappling and ground control beyond what the average fight fan would expect from a Brit.

There is no shame in losing to Charles Oliveira - the guy is a killer with his only losses coming to top 10 guys in Jim Miller, Donald Cerrone, Cub Swanson & Frankie Edgar,  as there is no shame in losing to 15 fight UFC vet Cole miller - the guy has had 15 fights in the UFC for a reason, he's that good. An argument could be made that Ogle defeated Akira Corassani also.

Its fair to say, no matter how tough Ogle has had it, he can't keep losing. I'd like to see Ogle have another fight in the UFC but I would total understand if he was cut.

Ben Heather - @benheather
For me this is an easy question to answer. YES

Andy Ogle is certainly a UFC calibre fighter, in my mind two issues have led to people asking will he be cut after his latest loss.

1) He has been matched up really badly in every fight.
2) He is too tough for his own good and has accepted to fight anyone, anywhere. To Andy Ogle getting offered a fight is accepting a fight.

Lets look at my first point. In his UFC debut he got matched up against Akira Corassani, a fight in which going in to it nobody gave him a chance and while we was waiting for the decision 99% of the crowd thought he won. If it wasn't for some poor judging he would have won that fight.

Next up he gets matched with and defeats Josh Grispi. Again, going in to the fight nobody gave him a chance but he proved everyone wrong again and dominated the fight winning this time on the judges scorecards.

Then he accepted, but had to pull out of the fight against Conor McGregor at UFC on FOX Sports 1. Once he was fully recovered he faced Cole Miller in Manchester. This fight was the first time we had seen Ogle dominated but even then in the third round he changed the whole fight around but it was too little, too late. Taking his UFC record to 1-2.

This past weekend he then faced Charles Oliveira in Brazil. This is the same Oliveira who last time out went toe to toe with Frankie Edgar for 15 minutes losing a decision in the co main event of the July 4th weekend card where Weidman defeated Anderson Silva. That is how highly the UFC rate Oliveira and when the fight was booked I thought Ogle had been thrown to the wolves again.

Now Ogle is 1-3 in the UFC a place no fighter wants to be however, I think he deserves one last shot on one of the european shows which have been planned for this year against another fighter who is like Andy Ogle a mid tier UFC fighter. If he gets matched up well for the next couple of fights I see Andy Ogle bringing his UFC record back to a healthier position. The fact he has taken the fights he has and only once pulled out of a fight has to be in his favour and I hope to see him in the Octagon again soon.

Tommy Strong - @strong_tea
Andy Ogle hit our screens on the first ever 'Ultimate Fighter Live' series back in 2012 where he defeated Brendan Weafer via unanimous decision to book himself a place inside the house.
I've got to admit, since the first time I saw Andy fight I've not been very impressed at all. Yes he's game, yes he durable, and yes he gives you 100% every time he fights. Though this simply isn't enough if you want to have a sustainable career within the UFC where the standards are set so high.

He made an impressive start inside the house defeating number Mike Rio via submission in the 2nd round, though lost his following fight in the quarter finals losing to Al Iaquinta inside the first round via TKO and forcing him out of a fight in the Ultimate fighter final. 

Ogle went onto made his UFC debut in Nottingham England where he narrowly lost to Akira Corassani via split decision. I've got to be honest. I thought he was very unlucky not to get the decision that night. If he had won that night , we might not be here now discussing about his future.

His style of fighting really doesn't lend itself to a mass market, and there is little appeal for me to go out of my way to watch him fight, this could be his biggest downfall here. We all know Dana and the UFC love fighters that come to fight regardless of the outcome. Look at Dan Hardy , Leonard Garcia, both went on long losing streaks and held onto there jobs because they entertained the fans. This I'm afraid just isn't Ogle's style of fighting.

At just 25 years old Ogle has his career still in front of him. In my opinion, he would be better off signing himself to a promotion like Bamma or Cage Warriors where he could build on his career and develop his game against fighters more on his level.

 

Poll: Who Would You Like to See Step in to Face Brad Pickett

Poll: Who Would You Like to See Step in to Face Brad Pickett

Dana White announced earlier today that number 3 flyweight Ian McCall is injured and the promotion are currently seeking a new opponent for Brad Pickett.

So, with McCall out, who do you wanna see set in to face Pickett next month in London?

** Any Votes of OTHER let us know who in the comment section below **

surveys

SANDEE to Launch Joanne Calderwood “Badmofo” Signature Series

SANDEE to Launch Joanne Calderwood “Badmofo” Signature Series

Team SANDEE Fighter Joanne “JoJo” Calderwood is to get her own range of SANDEE gloves and Shingaurds we can exclusively reveal today.

The new signature range exclusive to www.sandeeboxing.com will be named “Badmofo” after the name she goes by on Twitter.

The new design will be done in conjunction with Joanne and will reflect her Scottish roots combined with the premium quality expected from SANDEE in Thailand.

Here are some more details of the new BadMofo range

*         SANDEE JoJo Calderwood “Badmofo” Range Launching in May 2014

*         Signature design of Professional Training Gloves + Muay Thai Shin Guards

*         Colours – White / Scotland Blue / Black

*         To be Available in 10/12/14/16oz  in Velcro Boxing Gloves, M/L in Shinguards

*         Handcrafted in Thailand exclusively by SANDEE

In reference to Joanne’s Scottish heritage, the “Badmofo” logo will be in classic Celtic Script Font

Inside the Cage or Muay Thai Ring,  JoJo certainly lives up to her BadMofo name as one of the sports most vicious strikers, and has now notched up 8 straight wins in MMA and will later take part in the The Ultimate Fighter Season 20, which for the first time feature and all female contest.

The winner of TUF20 will be crowned the first straw weight female UFC champion and hopefully that will be Team SANDEE’s BadMofo JoJo, who would become the first British UFC Champion in the history of the sport.

Outside of the cage however she couldn’t be nicer (we think anyway) but we wouldn’t like to be on the receiving end of one of her trademark elbows.

Source: sandeeboxing.com

Aldo vs Pettis "Super Fight" Should it Happen?

Should the Champ vs Champ fight happen? Pros and Cons for both divisions

by Sam Heard @SamHeard_

By now I’m sure the news of the proposed super fight between long time featherweight champion José Aldo (24-1 MMA, 6-0 UFC) and the newly crowned lightweight king Anthony Pettis (17-2 MMA, 4-1 UFC) has filtered down to even casual fans of MMA. It’s very difficult not to get carried away with excitement at the prospect of this titanic clash – for too many years now the MMA community has clamoured for a super fight, yet the last time we saw a clash of champions was GSP vs B.J Penn II way back in 2009… However, looking past how intriguing this battle would be, there are quite a few reasons why it might not necessarily be the right time for this fight.

From Anthony Pettis’ end there are some notable obstacles.

It must be remembered that Pettis has only just won his lightweight belt and is yet to make a single defence. There is no shortage of potential contenders in the lightweight division; Gilbert Melendez, Khabib Nurmagomedov and T.J. Grant to name but a few are sniffing after the belt. Surely it would make more sense for Pettis to see off a few of these challengers before super fight discussion can begin? While Aldo has seen off all the competition the featherweight division has to offer in some style, Pettis hasn’t even fought as a UFC champion. It could raise the stakes of a future battle between Pettis and Aldo even more if Pettis gets a few wins under his belt, proving himself to be a champion worthy of a super fight.

Aside from this question over Pettis’ dominance as a champion, there is a far more obvious concern preventing the two meeting in the Octagon. Anthony Pettis is currently rehabbing a serious knee injury. A recent interview with the UFC’s doctor revealed that even expecting the champion to return by July could be an overly optimistic estimation. By committing to the super fight the UFC would be essentially side-lining both champions until Pettis makes a full recovery, putting both the featherweight and lightweight divisions on hold. Also, with heavyweight champ Cain Velasquez out until late in the year, this means the UFC would have three champions out of action and would have far less main-event-worthy fights at their disposal.

There can be no denying that of the two fighters José Aldo is the more ready for a super fight. During his time as the top dog of the UFC and WEC he has cleared out the upper-tier of the featherweight division, so in many ways a move up to lightweight is understandable. He simply needs some more competition...

However, the fate of the featherweight belt if Aldo does indeed move up to 155-lbs is problematic. When Aldo first expressed his interest in the super fight at the post-UFC 169 press conference, Dana was fairly adamant that Aldo will be forced to relinquish his hold of the Featherweight belt, opening the vacant championship position up to a battle between the two top contenders (the same scenario scheduled to take place for the Welterweight championship at UFC 171).

While this battle for the vacant belt – most likely between Chad Mendes and Cub Swanson – would be a killer fight, viewers would be left with a strange aftertaste. The new featherweight champion wouldn’t be the ‘real’ champion. Aldo would still be the champion, at least in the eyes of the people. This new guy would be the fighter who was babysitting Aldo’s belt while he attempted to conquer the lightweight division. There is also every chance Aldo won’t even be willing to give up his belt – it would be a huge gamble to drop one championship belt for the opportunity to potentially gain another. Becoming the champion of another division would certainly put Aldo right into the GOAT discussion though.

The fight seemed to be arranged so easily at the press conference. Dana White simply announced “sounds like we got a fight”, though it is clear that there is a lot more arranging to do before a fight of this scale can be set in stone. Aldo and Pettis were supposed to meet at UFC 163 and it seems pretty obvious their paths are destined to cross at some point – will this happen in 2014? Who knows. When it does happen, expect it to be an incredible battle though.

Kingdom MMA review of UFC 169

UFC 169: Barao vs Faber II

by Sam Heard @SamHeard_

Boasting two title fights with a brace of the UFC’s most dominant champions topping off a stacked card, UFC 169 certainly promised a lot and in many ways failed to live up to this lofty expectation. Not only were UFC records broken for the most fights to go to decision – ten of the twelve fights would hit the judge’s scorecards – but the night ended in an unsatisfactory manner with a questionable referee stoppage. The disappointing nature of the night is reflected in the distribution of the bonuses with one fight taking all the honours. The Trujillo/Varner matchup would pick up not only the Knockout of the Night bonus for Trujillo but also an augmented Fight of the Night bonus as a result of the lack of a ‘Submission of the Night’ – a whopping $125,000 in bonuses for Abel Trujillo.

Renan Barao (32-1 MMA, 7-0 UFC) VS. Urijah Faber (30-7 MMA, 6-3 UFC)

The UFC’s marketing of this fight was such that Faber had a 50% chance of toppling the newly crowned undisputed Bantamweight champion. Not only did Joe Rogan explicitly say this in the promo but they were also very shady about revealing the fact that the two had fought before and that Barao in his decision victory Barao had outscored Faber 50-45 on one judge’s scorecard.

In their second match-up it was all too clear that since they last met in the Octagon, Barao is the more improved of the two fighters. The first two or so minutes of the fight saw some fairly even striking exchanges between the two fighters with Faber’s tutelage under Duane Ludwig clearly giving him the confidence to kick-box with the dangerous Brazilian fighter. However, standing with Barao proved to be a mistake as a solid straight right connected directly with Faber’s jaw, dropping him and allowing Barao to swarm all over him. Somehow Faber was able to get to his feet but the Brazilian blitz continued, a typhoon of knees, uppercuts and body shots. The relentless pressure from Barao paid off as he once again dropped the dazed Alpha Male captain. Faber clung to Barao’s leg and was guarding the Brazilian’s rapid hammerfists but Herb Dean had seen enough, despite Faber having given him the thumbs up. In fairness to Faber, he did seem like he was able to continue and after the fight was stopped he was immediately up challenging the controversial decision.

This ending was undesirable to both Bantamweights – Faber was denied the opportunity to continue in the fight while Barao, who had looked amazing in the fight, couldn’t get the definitive stoppage he may have needed to get his name right up the p4p rankings.

Result: Renan Barao def. Urijah Faber via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 3:42

Jose Aldo (24-1 MMA, 6-0 UFC) VS. Ricardo Lamas (13-3 MMA, 4-1 UFC)

Some have expressed disappointment in Jose Aldo for not picking up a victory in the distance. I am not one of these people. While he failed to stop Lamas, Aldo looked completely dominant in his unanimous decision victory and showed some of the most technically appealing combinations of strikes I’ve ever seen.

Aldo chained together long, accurate combinations throughout the fight which nearly always finished with one of his renowned thunderous leg kicks. The Brazilian champ also displayed exceptional takedown defence to ruin Lamas’ strategy to outwrestle him. Lamas was mostly unable to threaten Aldo – the only round he won on the judges’ scorecards was the fifth where he was fortunate enough to find himself on top of Aldo in a scramble. Even in this position he didn’t really trouble Aldo who was clearly content to remain on his back and let the judges give him his sixth consecutive UFC win. Critics of Aldo will attribute his losing the fifth round to his tendency to fade towards the end of fights. I tend to disagree with this as he hadn’t slowed down at all until being taken down.

At the post-fight press conference it was revealed that now Aldo has defeated all the top featherweight contenders he would be interested in moving up to 155-lbs to fight Pettis for his Lightweight belt.

Result: Jose Aldo def. Ricardo Lamas (49-46, 49-46, 49-46)

Frank Mir (16-9 MMA, 14-9 UFC) VS. Alistair Overeem (37-13 MMA, 2-2 UFC)

In what was probably the most disappointing fight on the main card we saw one of the least competitive heavyweight fights in recent memory. Most expected Overeem to come out, rock the shaky chin of Mir immediately and finish him for a quick return to the dressing room. We saw domination of a very different, far more boring kind, however. Clearly in fear of getting tagged as he has been in his past two fights, Overeem fought ultra-conservatively despite having several openings to easily finish Mir. Instead, he lay on top of Mir for large sections of the fight landing just enough ground-and-pound for the ref to not stand it back up. What could have been one of the most exciting fights on the card turned out to be boring and highly uncompetitive. Bad match-making on the part of the UFC.

Result: Alistair Overeem def. Frank Mir via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Ali Bagautinov (13-2 MMA, 3-0 UFC) VS. John Lineker (23-7 MMA, 4-2 UFC)

This clash of two rising flyweights certainly seemed to be a fight for the number 1 contender spot, pitching the world-class sambo of Bagautinov against the brute power of John Lineker.

The fight was extremely back-and-forth throughout: Bagautinov, as we had seen in his last fight, was comfortable enough on his feet to throw combos at the Brazilian while mixing in takedowns while Lineker was able to cause some visible pain to the Russian, particularly with body shots in the second. Despite this, it was an easy fight to score in the end with Bagautinov’s domination on the mat able to comfortably win the first and third rounds while Lineker’s power shots in the second frame won him a round back. Bagautinov certainly seems like a worthy challenger to take on Mighty Mouse next – he was able to make a man who has been knocking out talented flyweights left, right and centre look slow, plodding and one dimensional.

Result: Ali Bagautinov def. John Lineker via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Abel Trujillo (12-5 MMA, 3-1 UFC) VS. Jamie Varner (21-9-1 MMA, 3-4 UFC)

This fight was easily the most entertaining on the whole card and there really isn’t much which can be said about it other than that you should watch it as soon as you get chance.

Imagine two Wanderlei Silva clones slugging it out in the Octagon if you want the best description of this bout. The two had each other hurt on multiple occasions and indeed it seemed Varner had all but beaten Trujillo until he got caught by a massive counter-right which sent him down immediately like a felled tree.

Once again, if you haven’t watched this fight yet, watch it.

Result: Abel Trujillo def. Jamie Varner via knockout (punch) – Round 2, 2:32