Danny Mitchell UFC Fight Night London Pre Fight Interview

Kingdom MMA talk to Danny Mitchell before his UFC debut at UFC Fight Night 38

by Chris Marzella @ChrisMarzella

An array of European fighters are gearing up for yet another UFC EMEA event. One of the UFC's Brit influx looking to get off to a winning start this Saturday night is Danny "The Cheesecake Assassin" Mitchell who will make his UFC debut at the O2.

A charismatic character boasting an impressive record the "Chesecake Assassin", a nickname given to him he says because "I like cakes and I like violence", takes on welterweight Igor Araujo and will not only be looking for the debut win but for a memorable performance in the process.

Speaking to KingdomMMA.co.uk Mitchell said:

"I think the most important thing is just to be myself and not hold anything back.

"Many people suffer the UFC jitters in their debut bout and it can cripple your usual game so it's just a case of trying to stay relaxed and fighting the way I want to fight. I think my style is pretty entertaining and I just hope it's a good one for all the fans."

It's fair comment that Mitchell has already faced UFC calibre competition before even stepping foot in the octagon. However, as far as he's concerned none of that matters when he's under the bright lights of the O2.

"There's lots of great talent in the UFC and ultimately that is where everyone wants to test themselves. I definitely think I am at the level to be in there" Mitchell said. He added: "I have fought some tough guys and that should stand me in good stead for the big show.

"Thing is with MMA it's so hard to judge fights on people's past experience as there are so many variables within a fight and people are always changing their training, their style and that is what makes this sport so exciting!"

Araujo is a skilled jiu jitsu artist but Mitchell is adamant that he is fully prepared for all eventualities.
Mitchell said:

"He is a good black belt who favours submissions on the ground but again this is MMA and anything can happen."

"Its so hard to predict how the fight will go so it's all about preparing for every outcome and making sure all your bases are covered. I will be prepared on the feet and on the ground, as I am sure he will be too."

With the UFC global expansion plans well underway there are more and more talents visiting multiple countries on various continents. Mitchell is one of many Brits to be given the nod March 8, he said:

"It's always good to get kicked off in England, I have a lot of fans and support travelling down which will be a great boost for me and I am looking forward to the atmosphere in the o2 on March 8th. Its gonna be crazy!

As he enters the final week of his preparations Mitchell is raring for fight day, saying:

"Me and my coaches have watched the tape and figured a few things out. He's skilled opponent and tough but then again so is every fighter in the UFC!

"All the hard training and prep is done now, just a few pounds to lose and the rest is history."

Danny Mitchell vs Igor Araujo takes place on March 8 at UFC Fight Night 38 from the O2, London.

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