Jack Mason "The guys i help coach will go on to achieve more than i could ever dream of in MMA"

Jack Mason talks to Kingdom MMA after win at Cage Warriors Fight Night 11

by Sam Heard @SamHeard_

Copyright Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors

On Good Friday in Amman, Jordan Jack Stone Mason went to work for the 8th time in just over 15 months. That alone is a truly inpressive stat but this fight also marked the 40th fight of Jack's career and he wanted to make it clear who the winner was by the end of the fight. Mason came in to this fight off the back of a very close, some would say controversal loss to Benny Alloway at Cage Warriors 65 which snapped a two fight streak and he made sure he came away from Jordan with the win. Yesterday we caught up with Jack to discuss that fight, his team at BKK Fighters and whats next for Jack.

Sam: Congratulations on your recent victory against Patrick Vallee in your 40th pro fight. Have you had chance to watch the fight back yet and if so how would you rate your performance?
Mason: Thanks very much! Yeah I’ve had a chance to watch it back and there are definitely some things I could have done better or more of but I’m happy with the result against a very tough and tricky opponent.

Sam: Did fighting a former training partner have any effect on your mind-set going into this fight? Did you do anything differently for this fight because you have previously trained together?
Mason: Having trained with Patrick before I knew when I accepted this fight that I had my work cut out as I know that he poses me a genuine threat skill wise in all areas and especially in the grappling exchanges. The guy is exceptionally strong and is very quick in scrambles and possesses a very high level ground game. I knew that this was a 50/50 fight and that to take the win I had to implement my game plan perfectly and that’s what I tried to do.

It was quite strange standing across the cage from a friend knowing we were about to fight!

Sam: When did you last train with Patrick and how much had he improved since you last trained with him?
Mason: Probably about a year ago I think. Patrick is in contact with Luke Barnatt a lot as I know Luke was planning to get him over to the UK to help him prepare for his upcoming bout at UFC Berlin so he may be back over very soon training with us!

Patrick is legit and if he fights again on Cage Warriors he’s going to cause a lot of guys in the WW division problems.

Sam: Did fighting at a catchweight make the weight cut easier for this fight or did the short timeframe between agreeing to fight and the fight make it harder?
Mason: I was hoping to get on the Liverpool show in May and was dieting down to Welterweight for that, when the opportunity came up to fight again in Jordan I jumped at the chance but to make Welterweight on that short notice isn’t possible for me so we agreed a catch-weight for this bout.

I’d love their to be a 175lb division in MMA as that’s definitely the best weight for me, hopefully they’ll implement that weight class while I’m still fighting!

Sam: You were able to showcase both your wrestling and striking skills on multiple occasions throughout the fight. Do you feel like this convincing performance was enough to warrant your name being back in title contention?
Mason: I think the win over a legit opponent in Vallee definitely puts me back in the mix, however I think I need a decent finish over another top Welterweight to really push my case for a shot at the title.

Sam: In your second most recent fight you lost a close decision against Benny Alloway. After the fight you took to twitter for the first time that I can remember stating that the judges had incorrectly scored the fight. Now some time has passed do you still feel the same way?
Mason: To be completely honest during the fight I was absolutely sure I was winning and thought I had it won hands down through jabs I landed on the feet, takedowns and control. When the decision got read out I was genuinely shocked.

When I got a chance to watch it back however I saw the fight from a wholly different perspective and can see it was far closer than I originally thought. I think the fight was so close that the decision could have gone either way and to be honest I can’t really complain about the result as I should’ve done a whole lot more in that fight to take the win. I have to take responsibility for that loss and in my next bouts ensure that they always finish on my terms.

Sam: Did you push CW for a rematch with Alloway or is that a fight you would like again in the future?
Mason: I haven’t pushed for a rematch no. The Cage Warriors Welterweight division is so stacked full of talent that there are so many tough guys to fight that rematches really don’t make sense.

That being said of course I would rematch Alloway if that fight made sense for Cage Warriors again and it put me closer to a title shot.

Sam: Did suffering a close loss on the judges’ scorecards influence your game-plan going into this fight and how nervous were you prior to Joe Martinez announcing the good news this time around?
Mason: To be honest the match against Vallee was such a tough one that I didn’t put any extra pressure on myself about trying to win anything on the judge’s scorecards, I just went out there and fought the fight I needed to. I knew that if I caught Vallee with a clean punch on the feet I could finish the fight and that’s what I was trying to do. He was tricky and it was difficult to land anything clean so the finish never came unfortunately.

When the judge’s decision was read out I did think I’d won the fight but from previous experiences you can never quite tell about how the fight is interpreted from an outside perspective so yes I was pretty nervous as to whether I’d get the nod!

Sam: You fought in Jordan again for the third time in about a year. Do you ask to be on the foreign shows or would you like to fight in the UK again soon? There looks to be a massive event in June, will you want to be a part of that?
Mason: I don’t ask to fight on the foreign shows specifically however I definitely enjoy fighting on them, especially in Jordan as the crowd out there are absolutely unbelievable!

The June show looks incredible and yes if Cage Warriors can get me on it’s definitely something I want to be a part of!

Sam: In the past couple of weeks some of your BKK fighters picked up some very impressive wins, what is better for you: Seeing your guys win or picking up the wins yourself?
Mason: The guys I help coach will go on to achieve more than I could ever dream of in MMA I am sure. Seeing them starting from scratch at BKK Fighters to go on and win world titles is a goal of mine and we will make it happen as a team.

Sam: What did you make of Arnold Allen's impressive performance earlier in the night? He certainly lived up to the award of "One to watch in '14" that we awarded him in our end of year awards.
Mason: Arnold made short work of Huber that’s for sure. Arnold’s been fighting tough competition in both Amateur and Professional MMA since he was 16 and he continues to put these grown men away really quickly. Given Huber’s ground credentials we thought he would be a tough opponent for Arnold but Arnold hits so hard and so fast that when he touches someone they just change their mind and want out of the fight.

Arnold will be a world champion before he is 23 I have no doubt.

Sam: As always You were back fighting very regularly, Did you consider taking a break from fighting for a few months to work more on your game after the loss or were you eager to get your name back in the Win column?
Mason: I started MMA in 2005 when I was 23 years old. I’m 31 now and have had over 40 fights, I’m at my physical peak and am always learning and improving so I just want to continue fighting regularly and gaining all the experiences I can from fighting at a high level for one of the MMA best organizations in the world. I’m having the time of my life fighting for Cage Warriors right now.

In terms of the decision loss to Alloway, the thing I needed to change was not so much my skill set, it was more the mental approach and game plan I took into that fight. A slightly different approach and that fight would’ve been mine I’m sure, it’s definitely an experienced I’ve learnt from.

Sam: Would you like to thank anyone?
Mason: Thanks very much for the interview and thanks to my management, coaches, team mates, family and friends and to everyone for all the support for this fight and my career so far!

Huge thanks also to Matt Walton who has given me some excellent guidance in the past couple of months and really changed my approach to fighting.

I’d also like to say a huge thank you to my sponsors, please check out their websites and follow them on Twitter:

         www.britishfighter.co.uk                        @BritishF1ghter
         www.chelmsfordphysio.co.uk                 @ChelmsforPhysio
         www.blankmmauk.com                         @BlankMMAUK
         www.qntuk.com                                    @QNTUK
         www.funkygums.com                             @FUNKYGUMS
         www.ignitept.co.uk                                @LI_Strength
         www.coconoil.co.uk                              @Coconoil

Kingdom MMA chat to Matt Inman ahead of Cage Warriors 68

Matt Inman: Cage Warriors 68 Pre Fight Interview

by Alex Dillon @_AlexDillon_

Copyright: Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors

On Saturday night Cage Warriors returns to Liverpool for Cage Warriors 68. One of the stars who will be competing on the night is Matt Inman (13-5), Matt is currently on a four fight win streak and will be looking to improve his streak and his chances of pushing towards a shot at the title on Saturday night. Before his big fight Kingdom MMA caught up with Matt to talk about his fight.

Alex: Hi Matt, cheers for taking the time out to talk to us about your upcoming fight at Cage Warriors 68 in Liverpool. With less than a week until your fight with Mauro Chimento, how have your preparations been for this camp and how is your weight looking?
Inman: No Problem, thanks for the interview.

Preparations have gone really well, I feel very fit and strong, and I've effectively rehabbed a few little injuries I was carrying for the last few months, so I'll be going into the fight as injury free as you can hope to be after a long, hard fight camp.

My weight is fine, I've been making this same weight for the last six years or so now so I've really got the whole process nailed down. It's never easy and its definitely my least favourite part of the job but there are some really big cutters in my division (to be fair there are in every division) so its a necessary evil.

Alex: Are you excited about fighting in Liverpool given its close to Manchester?
Inman: Yes, I fought in the Echo when Cage Warriors were there last year, it's a cracking venue. It's also nice to be able to stay at home before the fight which is not very common for me as I'm normally on the road. It's just easier at home as you know where everything is, you can sleep in your own bed and you don't have to wander round obscure foreign cities looking for food to refuel on that's not going to batter your already delicate system post weight cut! Having said that I love fighting abroad and experiencing new places as well.

Alex: Does fighting so close to home create extra pressure, or does it make it more enjoyable, to fight in front for friends and family, as well as having that support from the crowd?
Inman: There's definitely that excitement factor and I'm really fortunate that I get some good support even though I'm not actually from Manchester. I've been blown away by the amount of people who have got tickets and are making the trip to show their support.

The pressure is always there because the Cage Warriors fights go out to so many people on the telly and the internet that everyone is going to see the fight regardless of how far away it is. I think at the end of the day when you're in there you know a lot of people are watching it just gives you that little bit of extra determination to bite down on your gummy and get the job done.

Alex: On May 3rd your facing Mauro Chimento, do you know much about him?
Inman: Yes, he's a Brazilian who has been competing for a long time and has a lot of experience. I always feel the more experienced a fighter is the more dangerous they are. It's totally different in that sense to my last fight against Wiebel who was a comparatively new guy riding a good streak but lacking some of that big fight experience.

Alex: I've found it difficult to find much footage on Chimento, is it fair to say you have had the same problem and how does preparing for a fight differ when you can't find that much on a guy?
Inman: A lot of his fights have been in Brazil so naturally footage is tricky to come by, I've watched his more recent fights, particularly his Cage Warriors appearances.

I don't think it does make a huge amount of difference to me, I like to watch a little bit of footage to get a sense of a fighter but I don't do a lot of in depth study. My coach Karl does a lot of work on that side, he has a really good eye for picking up little areas where we can exploit a weakness, or recognising a particular strength that a guy might have that we need to be wary of so I take a lot of my cues from the work he does.

Alex: What would you say his strengths and weaknesses are and where do you see your self having the advantage over Chimento?
Inman: To be fair I think he's not bad all round, obviously he has a really good grappling calibre but at the same time he's no mug on his feet. I won't divulge on what I feel his weaknesses are at this point but hopefully that will come out in the fight!

Alex: In the footage I did manage to find of Chimento I’ve noticed he can get a little wild with his striking, sometimes he drops his hands when he shoots in. Is this something you have picked up on in your preparations at all?
Inman: Yeah, wildness is a strange thing. It can work either way, when a guy has developed a style like that after a long time fighting its generally because it works for him. A good example would be the fight in Chechnya where my opponent had a really unorthodox, off-the-wall striking style that you wouldn't hope to teach anyone, but he caused me problems just because I wasn't used to it, it's hard to train for that kind of thing or get your sparring partners to replicate it, so there is very much the element of the unknown.

On the other hand though there's a reason why the best strikers all work from similar fundamentals, it's because they work, sometimes when a guy is just loading up on his shots and swinging for the fences you can pick them apart. Of course you can never really tell which will happen until you're in there though, fingers crossed it's the later!

If you're looking to catch a guy as they shoot your timing has to be bang on, so it's something I'm always looking to do but It's difficult to say if I'll have any success.

Alex: Do you think Chimento will want this fight to go to the ground, and have you trained more on your ground game and defensive wrestling than you would do normally in preparation for this fight?
Inman: I'm always working to improve my defensive wrestling because its no secret that that's one of the worst aspects of my game. I'm really fortunate to count some of the best MMA wrestlers in the UK as training partners now, Including Saul Rogers and Aaron Wilkinson, so I definitely feel that that aspect is improving quickly.

As to whether Chimento will look to take me down its difficult to say, maybe he'll fancy his chances on the feet. I have a lot of faith in my ground game though, and I feel I have really strong Jiu Jitsu for MMA, so I certainly won't be afraid to fight on the ground if that's where the fight ends up.

Alex: One could make the argument that on paper Chimento who is coming into the fight 2-3 in his last 5 is maybe a step back compared to your last few fights - Bahari, Sharaputdinov, Weibel, etc, would you agree?
Inman: I don't really feel that way at all, I think Chimento is just as dangerous as any of those guys and I think the fact that he is coming off mixed results will make him determined to get the win and steal some of the momentum I have built up. In my mind this is a real 50/50 fight and I'm expecting, and ready, for it to be really tough.

Alex: Do you feel after putting together a 4 fight win streak you should be in the mix with the likes of Roberts, Mason, Alloway, Wallhead etc.
Inman: I feel like I'm maybe half a step behind those guys at the minute, but I'm just taking things one fight at a time and seeing how far I can take things.

Alex: Am I right in saying you're studying towards a degree as well as coaching at the SBG gym? How do you balance these commitments when you have a fight coming up?
Inman: Yes, i am studying a fairly intensive post graduate law conversion course, called a GDL, and I work full time in SBG as a coach and personal trainer. I have my final exams starting not long after this fight so I have been balancing my time between training, revising and working. It makes for quite long days but I'm used to it now and I work a lot better when the pressure is on anyway.

Alex: Who would you like next with a win and do you think it should be for that no. 1 contender spot? A rematch with Jack Mason maybe?
Inman: I don't know really I'm just focusing on the fight in front of me. There's a lot of good guys in the division and I certainly need to win this and then beat one of the top guys before I'm looking at a title shot (easier said than done!).

I would like a Mason rematch as I feel I'd do better this time, even though stylistically it's not a good fight for me, but I can't see that happening and, outside of a title fight or a possible number one contender spot, objectively I don't think it makes great sense as a fight.

Alex: Finally, how do you see yourself beating Chimento on the 3rd?
Inman: I think I'll grind him down with good consistent pressure and stop him late in the fight.

Alex: Would you like to thank anyone ahead of your fight?
Inman: Thanks to my coaches Karl and Jon and all my training partners.

Thanks again for your time ahead of the fight and we are all looking forward to another exciting performance on Saturday night.

Jimmy Wallhead talks to Kingdom MMA ahead of his Cage Warriors return

Jimmy Wallhead Cage Warriors 68 Pre Fight Interview

by Chris Houten @mrhouts

Picture by Mark Blundell

On Saturday night, Jimmy Wallhead will make his return to Cage Warriors and headline Cage Warriors 68. In the main event Jimmy will square off against the highly regarded Danny Roberts, who will be fighting in his home town. Before that Kingdom MMA caught up with Jimmy to find talk about that fight, his decision to leave BAMMA and much more.

Chris: I won't be the first to ask this and no doubt I won't be the last but what was it that made you leave BAMMA? It felt as if you were the poster boy of the promotion.
Wallhead: Well basically it came down to me wanting to be more active in my career and with Cage Warriors I will be. They are a great promotion with a stacked roster and regular shows.

Chris: Last time we talked, we discussed plans BAMMA had to put on more fights this year, and in turn give you more fights. When you were weighing up your options was the fact that Cage Warriors put on so many shows a year and can offer you several fights a year one of the major deciding factors?
Wallhead: yeah as above for sure.

Chris: Did you feel that BAMMA would struggle with the proposal of doing 6 cards this year, did they give you any indication that the proposal might not be possible?
Wallhead: I just felt a better career path laid with Cage Warriors for me at this point in my career.

Chris: How does it feel being back with Cage Warriors where it all started for you, does it feel like you are coming home?
Wallhead: It feels very special obviously and the promotion has evolved into something very big and special as I keep saying it felt like the right move.

Chris: Has joining Cage Warriors had any effect on you sponsorship wise with the thought that their product or logo won't be seen on channel 5 / 5 star?
Wallhead: No none at all

Chris: On May 3rd you're fighting a young, hungry up and comer in Danny Roberts, how would you say he compares to some of your recent opponents, and do you think the fact that he's at a point in his career where he's still trying to establish a name for himself makes him more dangerous than some of the guys you've fought recently?
Wallhead: 100% very dangerous opponent and it's gave me the kick up the arse I needed to step my training up and get that hunger going for myself.

Chris: There have been talks amongst fans in the lead up to this fight that you might be the underdog in this fight. What would you say to those fans who are installing Roberts as the favourite and are you embracing this underdog status you're being given?
Wallhead: I can understand people saying that I don't believe it though and I am very confident in my abilities.

Chris: In our last interview we discussed how you were 'looking for your inner aggression' and it kinda felt there was a period of time where you weren't as into your fight as you were say when you first started out. Has signing for Cage Warriors and being given a hungry, up and comer in Roberts helped you find your enjoyment for fighting and made you excited to fight again?
Wallhead: Absolutely more than I can explain.

Chris: How has your training camp for this fight been fight? Am I right in saying you have spent some time with London Shootfighters helping Hathaway prepare for his fight with Kim but also your fight with Roberts?
Wallhead: That's correct I originally went down to help John and to be honest I was very very impressed with the whole set up there and so I spent time there every week in this camp with Alexis and Paul and feel very well prepared for my fight.

Chris: How has working with London Shootfighters improved you as a fighter? What elements of your game have improved by being down there?
Wallhead: All areas from mental to fitness to my technical areas.

Chris: Going back to the inner aggression question, where do London Shootfighters fit in with this? Has being in London helped you find what you were looking for?
Wallhead: It's something I wish I had done 9 years ago.

Chris: You're fighting Roberts in his backyard of Liverpool. What's it like fighting on enemy territory so to speak? Is it something you notice or sense during the fight?
Wallhead: I've done it many times before, it is what it is.

Chris: Roberts is a good pretty well rounded fighter. Where would you say you have the advantage in this fight?
Wallhead: all I know is he hasn't fought or beaten anyone of my ability to date.

Chris: Roberts last few fights have been wars, are you preparing for a violent one?
Wallhead: Absolutely I expect nothing less to be honest.

Chris: Have Cage Warriors given you any indications that the winner of this fight gets a shot at Dalby?
Wallhead: no none at all

Chris: With a lot of the top Cage Warriors guys moving over to the UFC, are you seeing this contract you have as a stepping stone or opportunity for something bigger or is this something you're not really focused on at this stage of your career?
Wallhead: Right now all I'm focused on is Danny Roberts

Chris: If you could predict the outcome of the fight on Saturday, how do you see yourself winning?
Wallhead: No idea, I can finish a fight in more than one area.

Chris: We are now a week away from the fight, what's the plan for the next week?
Wallhead: Finally recover and cut the last bit of weight.

Chris: Finally is there any sponsors you would like to thank ahead of your fight next Saturday?
Wallhead: Gray Ridgeway at QAV
Booster Fight Gear
Positiv Energy Drink
Ian Cox at CSS
Steve Almighty Fightwear
Funky gums
Paul White massage
Blueberry nutrition
Forca Luta
Matt Walton at Spiked
4dmma
Wayne at Pain Fightwear

Thanks again for the time ahead of your fight and we can't wait to see you in action on Saturday night.

Arnold Allen talks to Kingdom MMA about his victory at Cage Warriors Fight Night 11

Arnold Allen CWFC FN 11 Post Fight Interview

by Sam Heard @SamHeard_

Copyright Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors

Kingdom MMA recently caught up with Arnold Allen after he made quick work of Tobias Huber at Cage Warriors Fight Night 11. Arnold went in to the fight trying to protect his unbeaten record and walked out the cage less than a minute later. What happened in that time was a dominating and very one sided performance by a true prospect and rising star of UK MMA.

Sam: Congratulations on your recent dominant victory against Tobias Huber. Had a first round TKO been the result you were expecting?
Allen: Thank you, and yeah I was expecting to finish it quick with strikes.

Sam: What was going through your mind when Huber had hold of your ankle?
Allen: I was just thinking about getting him off my foot and keeping up on my feet.

Sam: You yourself have a well-documented proficiency with submissions. How comfortable would you have felt on the ground with Huber?
Allen: I would have been happy if the fight was on the ground, I was happy wherever. 

Sam: This was the first time this year we had seen you fight and you seem to be perpetually improving. What had you been working on leading up to this most recent outing?
Allen: I was working a little bit of counter wrestling to go against Huber trying to get the fight to the ground, but as usual I focused on improving my skills all round rather than worrying about my opponents strengths.

Sam: I’m sure it must have been pleasant seeing off your opponent so quickly, When do you hope to fight next?
Allen: Yeah for sure it was nice to get a nice quick win, and also whenever! I'm looking to have around 4 or 5 fights this year.

Sam: Was it a relief to see your head coach, Jack Mason get his name back in the W column with a controlling win over Patrick Vallee later that night after such a close loss for him in his last fight?
Allen: It's always good to see your team mates/ coaches win, but it was great to see Jack get a good win over a tough opponent!

Sam: This was the second time in a row that you had fought in Jordan. Do you have a preference either fighting abroad or in the UK or are you unaffected?
Allen: I'm not too fussed about where i fight but the fans in Jordan are awesome they get behind everyone, the public weigh in was crazy I don't think there would be enough interest in the UK for something like that.

Sam: The fans in Jordan really took to you, how do you think the fans in Amman compare to the other cities you have fought in?
Allen: I'm not to sure why they have taken to me but it's really cool to have that kind of support miles away from home.

Sam: Since joining Cage Warriors you have finished all four of your opponents in the distance. After such a one-sided performance, how far do you think you are away from getting a shot at the vacant title?
Allen: I think a few good wins over tougher opposition would put me in the mix for a title for sure.

Sam: Were you offered the opportunity, would you be interested in taking part in a featherweight one night tournament for the title as this is how some of the other CW titles have been won in the past year?
Allen: I'd be all over it, I would jump at any opportunity to fight for the Cage warriors title, that's what we're all fighting for!

Sam: While we’re on the topic of the vacant title, just before this fight Jim Alers made a winning start to his UFC career with a win in Abu Dhabi while clearly Conor McGregor is making waves despite a recent injury. Does the transition these fighters have made give you confidence that CW is the best platform to ultimately make the step up to the UFC?
Allen: Definitely it's goes even deeper than a couple of champions though it's proven that Cage Warriors go on to do big things in the UFC.

Sam: At the start of the year we awarded you the title of ‘One to watch in 2014’. Luke Barnatt is also documented as saying you will be a future champ. How does it feel to receive praise and awards like this from MMA media, fans and other fighters?
Allen: It's great to get praise from other fighters and media it makes me feel like I'm heading in the right direction.

Sam: Would you like to thank anyone or any sponsors?
Allen: I'd like to thank all of my sponsors for the help Almighty Fightwear, Efectiv nutrition, Valor Fightwear, Funky gums, Revgear, Whip Street Motors, Rosewood and everyone else for the help :)

Thank you for your time. We appreciate it very much and all the best in your up-and-coming endeavours.

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

Interview: Brett Johns Ahead of CW 67 'This is the Biggest Fight in Cage Warriors History'

Interview: Brett Johns Ahead of CW 67 'This is the Biggest Fight in Cage Warriors History'
by Chris Houten - @mrhouts

Photo: Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors

 2013 was a fantastic year from 22-year old Brett Johns from Swansea, Wales. Begin the year 5-0 in his professional MMA career, Johns submitted Joe Orrey to earn the Pain Pit British Bantamweight title, before joining Cage Warriors where he is now also champion thanks to a TKO victory over James MacAlister at Cage Warriors 54, and decision victories over David Haggstrom and Jordan Desborough at Cage Warriors 59's 4 man Bantamweight tournament. 4-0 in 2013 Kingdom MMA named Johns are Domestic Fighter of the Year 2013, followed closely by fellow Cage Warriors bantamweight James Brum, who Johns will meet at Cage Warriors 67 in Johns hometown of Swansea this weekend.

On Tuesday night I caught up with Brett Johns to discuss his upcoming fight with James Brum, and find out how his preparations have gone for one of the biggest domestic fights of the year. 

Houten: This time last year fighting for Pain Pit and now your holding the Cage Warriors belt, how would you say your life has changed over the last year since winning the belt?
Johns: its been really tough. A year ago now I’d already signed the contract with Cage Warriors but I had fought under that contract. Believe it or not I had fought for Cage Warriors before, I fought Sam Gilbert who’s now on a 3 fight win streak, he’s doing really well at featherweight. [When] we got called for Cage Warriors, I decided to take a big deep [look] at my personal life along with my career as well. I decided to quite work and go full time, and that was probably the biggest thing for me. I had a lot or arguments with my mother, and my family about it because I wanted to do it, I'm still having the effects now. I haven’t got a job, I haven’t got much money but I still tell myself its going to be worth it. To be honest even if I quit MMA tomorrow, I've achieve what I wanted to achieve in this sport already. For me it wasn’t to be in the UFC that wasn’t the aim for this game, it was just the be the best I could be, and the best I could be was World Champion for Cage Warriors in September.

Your defending you Cage Warriors bantamweight title at Cage Warriors 67 where you will be taking on a tough opponent in James Brum. Would you say this is the biggest fight of your career?
definitely, definitely, definitely, without a shadow of a doubt this is the toughest fight of my career. He’s undefeated for Cage Warriors, I think in total he’s on a 9 fight win streak, the same as myself. He is 8-0 with Cage Warriors, and before Cage Warriors signed him he beat a guy from Tillery Combat named Martin McDonough, Mr. Pink. Personal I think this is the biggest fight for Cage Warriors in Cage Warriors history, I genuinely do. I think its bigger than any other fight, that's my personal opinion about it.
How has your camp been for this fight?
I say this to people. People think I train harder every camp, I don’t train harder every camp, I train as hard as I can all of the time, this is why for the Joe Orrey fight in Pain Pit where I won my first British title, I would train full time. I dislocated my shoulder before that fight. It was January the 1st [when I began my training camp], and I dislocated my shoulder on the 5th, so the begin of the camp. I was meant to be fighting on March the first. So I looked at my coach, and I said 'look I think I’m going to have to pull out'. So my coach was 'like no, no, no its ok, we will rehab it properly, we will do it.' Literally a few months later, we had won the belt even with a dislocated shoulder. That was huge for myself, it was real big to win that belt, and I’ve been full time ever since. I’ve been training as hard as I can ever since then. It’s not as if I go ‘shall we train harder for this fight?’ I train hard every fight. You can’t be in the mind set like 'this is an easier fight, I’ll take it easier this time.' You shouldn’t be like that, why should you be like that? Why not try 100% every time?

We are now 3 days away from the weigh-ins, how is your weight looking ahead of stepping on the scales on Friday?
Very good! One of my friends, is a full time athlete, a full time BJJ guy [his name is] Bryn Jenkins. [He's] same age as me, he’s a youngster but he’s done so much in his career on diets, he’s studied different sort of foods to eat. To be honest I’m known for not eating very well, although I’m not a small 61s [61 KG], I’m not a big 61s, I’m kind of in the middle, I eat whatever I want, but for this fight this had to change. I was meant to fight Brum December 7th but I ruptured my MCL so I was out that fight, and I put on a lot of bad weight. I was eating crap food, and I was having crap drinks and stuff. Then we hit January and I went to Bryn, and I said 'look Bryn I need help with my diet,' so my camp hasn’t been a 6 week camp, it been since the first of January. 

I was slowly repairing my knee, so the sessions weren’t as intense as they used to be [when I was 100%], but they were intense enough for them to be classed them as sessions, and Bryn gave me that. Bryn lives about a 2 minute walk away from the gym, so I said 'will it be ok if I stay with you guys?' So I stayed with the boys - we call it the fighters house, and I’ve been hear since the 1st of January. I only go home on the weekends to see my girlfriend, then back here all week. So he’s looked at my diet, all that excess weight I did have, I’ve lost that, plus more. This is the lightest I’ve been [before a fight]. I usually cut from about 71, 72 [KG]. A week out I would normally be about 8 kilos over, well I less than that now and I genuinely feel brilliant, I could fight now, and I would feel fine.

Ive spoke to a few other fighters in the past who come from a Judo background similar to yourself and most of them say they rare train pure Judo anymore. I watched your Cage Warriors count down video though and I was surprise to see you mainly in the GI, working pure judo techniques. Are you still training pure judo, and are you still actively competing in Judo?
My father is a traditionalist, although he love coming to watch MMA, he’s a traditionalist, he loves Judo through and through. That's the only sport he enjoys doing and I always get a phone call if Ronda Rouseys fighting, he wants to watch. He wants to show how Judo is the main sport, and thats him. I like to do my Judo, I like to go their [the Judo academy] and help the kids, I enjoy doing stuff like that. 

I haven’t fought in a Judo competition in a good while. The last time I fought in a Judo competition, I won my first 5 fights by arm-bar, just taking guys down to the floor and just arm-baring them. I genuinely thought if I stop doing Judo, my Judo would get bad but it hasn’t. I used to train Judo quiet intensely, I used to train every day of the week with Judo, not as intense as I do with MMA now but I was pretty intense. I train Judo about twice a week [now], but the classes when I’m not doing Judo I’m doing the equivalent of Judo, I’m doing my wrestling class. I’m wrestling with boys who are heavier, who are agile, and I’m getting better like that anyway.

James Brum is pretty good in most areas, where would you say you have the edge over James. Would you say your ground game is where you have the edge?
I think this is gonna be one of where, he will be preparing himself for a stoppage, but I don’t see it going that way for either of us really. He’s a tough guy to finish, I feel I’m a tough guy to finish, and I think this will be a five round fight. I think one of my biggest attributes is my fitness and my wrestling, and I think that will be the biggest factor. I genuinely think as well that my BJJ is stronger than Brum's. That's how I feel right now. I’ve done a lot of BJJ with the guys with me and I feel I have the advantage in the grappling side of things. I do think he will try and shoot and he will try and take me to the floor and try and grind it out. He hasn’t fought a five round fight before, and I have, I've done 5 rounds in my last fight.

I heard Brum say in a recent interview he feels people might be underestimating you in this fight saying how he felt you were one of the most dangerous opponents he's faced. Do you feel you feel people might be underestimating you in this fight?
Kind of. I think on the book he is, I think he will be the favourite to win it but like I said to my coach, I thrive on being the underdog, I absolutely love being the underdog. In a fight, I would be the underdog any time over being the favourite. I love that feel of someone [who is meant to be] better than me having to try and beat me. There is no better feeling in the world when you win. See the tournament stucture, I wasn’t even meant to win my first fight against David Haggstrom, who I still believe is one of the best Bantamweights in Europe. I genuinely believe that, I think Haggstrom is one of the best. Out of all the guys that Brum has fought, I think Haggstrom is better, not a crazy amount better but I think he’s better. You know James Brums last fight he Marat Pekov, but I believe that Haggstrom would stop Marat Pekov.

Brum is an experience opponent but your the champion, do you feel he deserves to be ahead of you in the rankings?
I think I'm ranked 5th. I think there's Vaughn Lee, then it's James Brum, then it's Ronnie Mann, then it's Davey Grant, then it's myself. Believe it of not after the world title fight I was ranked 7th, with Pennington in front of me, I did agree with that. Nothing against Pennington but he pulled out of that fight, he was hurt, he couldn't continue, and I was hurt but I continued. I was 9-0 in my career and he was like 9-1 maybe 10-1 and he was still above me in the rankings. I really didn't agree with that. Brum on the other hand, he's fought tought guys, and I can understand. He's fought Erik Perez from the UFC, that just says itself. He doesn't mind a tough fight but I think he's looking past me a bit in one of his interviews [that he recently did] with Addicted MMA. He was on about Ronnie Mann and Cory Tait. I'm there watching the video, and I'm like 'oh hang on a minute, you've not fought me yet.'

A lot of people have tipped James Brum for the UFC, does it give you extra incentive to win on saturday to stake that claim for yourself?
I've seen a lot of tweets, even before the Marat fight, 'James Brum for UFC, James Brum, James Brum' and I felt like, I'm the champ, maybe they might want to sign me. They want to sign the best in the division and truly the person with the belt is the best in the division, so maybe they wanna sign me. 

I think a win over Brum or say if he gets the win over me, there's a possibility, a very good possibility, that the winner gets to go to the UFC. So you could take this fight as a world title fight plus a fight for a contract with the UFC. To me though that's not a huge factor, I'm in no rush for the UFC. Maybe Brum is, I'm not sure, but I'm definitely not. I don't mind to if I'm in Cage Warriors for another 3 or 4 years, just to be better again. Why rush to go into the UFC, and be a one fight veteran for the UFC. I don't wanna rush and lose and then get kicked out

The Cage Warriors Bantamweight division is one of the most stack divisions in the promotion, have you put any thought into who could be next with a wins over James? The like of Ronnie Mann and Cory Tait spring to mind.
I think it will be one of them two. I think more Ronnie Mann than Cory Tait. I genuinely believe it will be Ronnie Mann who fight next for he belt and he's a tough fight, but I'm not afraid to fight these guys. I want to fight the best, that's why when Cage Warriors gave me the contract I looked at the list and I said James Brum and that's why I took that fight cause he was the best and I wanted to fight the best. I never duck a fight, if someone wants to fight me, fight me. Sign the contract and we will get it on.

You fighting Brum in your hometown of Swansea, will the crowd be like having an extra man in your corner on Saturday?
I haven't fought in Swansea but I've fought in areas close. I've fought in Newport, I've fought in Cardiff but I haven't fought in Swansea. My last fight in Cardiff, we took a good few guys up there and I really fed off that crowd. It's a big thing for me. My friends and family there supporting me, I know how emotional they get , and I take that emotion in there. I like to scream and release a bit of anger before the fight. I enjoy the support from the guys and they've been there from the start of my career.

Finally if you could give a message to James Brum ahead of your bout on Saturday what would it be?
No message really. I just wanna go in there really and do my fight and I hope he does his fight and may the best man win. Because the winner gets the belt but I can see big things happening after this fight.

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.

Kingdom MMA speak to Martin "Mr Pink" McDonough ahead of Cage Warriors return

Martin McDonough talks to Kingdom MMA ahead of Cage Warriors 67

by Alex Dillon @_AlexDillon_

Copyright: Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors

On Wednesday evening Kingdom MMA caught up with Mr Pink ahead of his fight this weekend where he is set to face Shaj Haque at Cage Warriors 67 as Cage Warriors returns to Wales. Cage Warriors 67 is headlined by the bantamweight title clash between the current champ Brett Johns and the challenger James Brum.

Alex: Its been almost a year since your last fight, how excited are you to be finally back in action on Saturday night?
McDonough: I couldn't explain it to you, it's been so long, I'm looking forward to taking that first punch that wakes you up and you realise your in a fight! I'm looking forward to hitting someone as well, that's what it's all about! Maybe you can tell I'm a little excited haha.

Alex: You had to pull out of the Cage Warriors Bantamweight tournament through injury and in that time you’ve decided to drop down to flyweight for your next fight, what’s the reason behind this?
McDonough: Bantamweight wasn't far off my walking about weight. I wouldn't have to diet, go on sweat runs or cut weight in general. A few days not eating chocolate and half hour in the sauna and I was on or under weight. It made sense to drop to 125, now I have the chance to be the bigger guy, taller guy or stronger guy, it's not guaranteed but I was always the smaller fighter at bantamweight.

Alex: Is dropping to 125 the quickest way to a title shot, with the rise of the likes of Ronnie Mann and Cory Tait at 135?
McDonough: No not really, there is nothing saying I will get a title shot soon. I have to pay the game like everyone else. I have to win and perform well, like I said, I was too small for bantamweight, I wasn't struggling but I was always the smaller guy. I'm cutting as I'm doing this interview and I'm not feeling bad, this should have been my fighting weight a long time ago. I was just lazy.

Alex: We are 3 days away from the Cage Warriors 67 weigh-ins, what is you weight looking now?
McDonough: I woke up this morning 132.4 after a decent meal last night and still taking water on. I feel good, I'm still hitting pads with power and I'm still running 3 miles at a decent pace.

Alex: So your opponent Shaj Haque, what do you know about him? Have you studied him at all in the lead up to the fight?
McDonough: I don't spend too much time doing that, I've seen him before, he has fought my team mate Kris Edwards. What I've seen of him, he likes to work the Cage a lot, go for takedowns. He has his game plan, I have mine.

Alex: What would you say are Haque’s strengths and weaknesses?
McDonough: I don't know really, I honestly haven't paid that much attention to him. No disrespect to him, that's just not me. I know my strengths that's all that matters.

Alex: You have taken your last 5 wins by submission, would your biggest advantage in this bout is on the ground?
McDonough: No not at all, I can strike, I prefer to stand and strike it out! It's a fight at the end of the day, we are in there to hit each other, I'd like to work my boxing in this fight. Ex World Champion Gavin Rees is my boxing coach, he is always teaching me new things. I want to work them but if we hit the floor, and I can take your arm home with me or choke you.. I will.

Alex: All of Haque’s professional victories have gone the distance, how is your cardio the same as 125 as it was at 135?
McDonough: My cardio is better now haha. I have never been known for my cardio, ask all the boys at the gym. But for some reason, out of nowhere I have good cardio. I can go 15, 3 minute rounds sparing with 1 minute rest, with a fresh man every 3-4 rounds, and I'm not gassed.

Alex: Haque is ranked in the top 5 in the UK ranking with only Phil Harris ahead of him under the Cage Warriors roster, does a win over Haque put you in a good place for a title shot?
McDonough: Again with the title shot haha. If they offer me a title shot.. Fine. But until then, I'm just going to enjoy myself, fighting top boys, on the biggest show in Europe and get paid for it. As long as I perform well, the title shot will come.

Alex: How do you see yourself winning this bout on Saturday?
McDonough: Stoppage, I don't care how, as long as I stop him. The first fight I win by decision, I will be disappointed.

Alex: Finally Martin, if you could send a message to Haque ahead of your bout what would it be?
McDonough: I wouldn't send him a message, we won't speak before the fight.

Thank you for your time Martin, all the best from the guys at Kingdom MMA and we are all looking forward to seeing you make your return on Saturday night.

Ryan Scope "I dont want to take easy fights, thats why I am fighting Arish"

Ryan Scope talks to Kingdom MMA ahead of BAMMA 15 fight against Ali Arish

by Ben Heather @benheather

Ben: How has your camp gone for this fight and who have you been working with?
Scope: Yeah its gone really well, obviously I fought not so long ago (Feb 22nd) so I only had one week off training before I got back in to it. For this fight I've been sparring with all the guys at the gym like Ross Pearson, Colin Fletcher and Phil De Fries.

Ben: You're fighting Ali Arish on Saturday, would you say he is the best/ toughest fighter you have faced in your career?
Scope: Yeah definitely 100%. I mean hes 20-2 for a reason but I want to fight the best as I want to make a point. I want to get somewhere this year.

Ben: Have you spent much time studying Arish?
Scope: I have only watched a couple of his fights, to be honest everyone knows what he is going to do and he's very good at it but I think I've got the right game plan to stop what he does.

Ben: Do you think you have figured out where 20 of his opponents have gone wrong?
Scope: Yes regarding the defensive wrestling I know what they have all done wrong. None of them have got very much movement, everyone tries to walk forward but then get taken down so its all about the movement.

Ben: Hows the weight looking and whats left for the camp?
Scope: Well I'm a small welterweight so I won't have to cut much and I'm probably going to go to lightweight at some point. For this last week, all the hard work is done I will have my last hard session on Monday and I'll be doing some sprints then I will have a light sparring session Tuesday and then its about getting the weight down.

Ben: When you made your BAMMA debut at BAMMA 12 you were a big underdog and you are again this weekend? Does this spur you on to succeed?
Scope: Yeah definitely I've always been the underdog. I think after this fight when I win I wont be the underdog anymore but I like being the underdog though, there is no pressure and you prove everyone wrong when you win. You would think for an 8-0 pro that people would take notice but they haven't.

That being said though I don't want to take any easy fights, that's why I am fighting Arish. I want to fight the best, fighters that will get me noticed and make a name for myself. You don't see many fighters queueing up to fight Arish. I pride myself on the on taking the tough fights, there are too many fighters who take fights just to pad out their record. If you want to get anywhere you have to put the work in and test yourself, Ali is the best wrestler in MMA hands down so I want to test myself and put my record up against his as in the bigger picture I will be coming up against more wrestlers.

Ben: Since going the distance in your debut you have finished your opponent in all the other fights, is this something you pride yourself on and how prepared are you to push yourself for 3 rounds against Arish?
Scope: I am ready to go, obviously I finished those fights but I am always ready to go the distance. I expect the fight to be a grinding, tough fight.

Ben: Everyone knows his game plan, do you think he will stick to that or try and surprise you on Sat?
Scope: Yeah I would think he will stick to his normal game plan, he might try and stand with us at the start but when he realises that I have too much for him on the feet and I am too fast he might go back to the takedown.

Ben: Other than his wrestling what do you think he does well and do you think he has any areas you have the advantage?
Scope: I'd say his Jui Jitsu, I think I'm better technically but he is just strong when he is on top, again movement is the key for this fight. If I stop moving that's how I am going to get taken down.

Ben: Do you think a win over Arish puts you next in line for the winner of Murray vs Edwards?
Scope: Yes BAMMA have said that's the case but it could also be the step to something different, maybe something bigger you know what I mean. Arish holds wins over both the champion and the challenger so as far as rankings go there is only Paul Daley, Cathal Pendred and Jimmy Wallhead who are above so we will see what happens.

Ben: At the weekend both yourself and Colin Freakshow Fletcher are coming to London to fight are we expecting a big travelling support?
Scope: Yeah we always bring a good crowd so there will be a lot of people coming down.

Ben: You have been scheduled to fight Walter Gahadza in the past, is this a fight you are still interested in?
Scope: I know Walters been saying some shit about me pulling out of the fight because I had a broken hand. He bottled it online when called out by Jake Bostwick so he can't say Ive been dodging a fight when he has been publicly humiliated online so he cant say anything to be honest. I will fight Walter but if I beat Ali, whats the point.

Ben: I read in an interview you did last year that you aim to be in the UFC by the end of this year, how many wins do you think you are you from that now?
Scope: I think its only a couple. Again, if you look at the rankings there isn't many above Arish who is fourth so if I beat him I'm right up there. Obviously Paul Daley isn't getting back in the UFC, Wallhead has just signed for Cage Warriors and Pendred is now signed for the UFC so there would only be those above me and I am only 21. So that will look good for the UFC, up and coming fighter just beat number 4 in the country.

Ben: Its recently been announced that your training partner Ross Pearson has been signed up to fight Diego Sanchez, what do you think of that fight?
Scope: Yeah its gonna be a good fight that one. I think Ross will be too clever on the feet for Diego. Diego is game, he is tough you know but Ross is technically better than him. I like watching Diego fight but he fights with too much emotion. You have to go in there and be chilled.

Its a good fight for Ross and will be a statement if he can finish the fight. Its a good first fight back from Ross' injury. Its in Diego's home town so they are probably expecting Ross to get beat but Ross has a great shot.

Ben: Finally one last question, How do you see yourself winning?
Scope: I'm going to say a second or third round stoppage. Its not going to be like my last couple of fights. TKO stoppage in the second or third.

Kingdom MMA would like to thank Ryan for his time and we wish him all the best for his fight at BAMMA 15.

Interview: Oli Thompson Ahead of Bamma 15

Oli Thompson Talks to Kingdom MMA Ahead of his Bout with Gzim Selmani at Bamma 15
by Chris Marzella - @ChrisMarzella

For most being cut from the top fight organisation on the planet can be the downward spiral of a career, but for a few it is the beginning of a very separate journey, one which focuses more on the martial art than status or popularity. On Saturday night one such man makes his BAMMA debut.

Heavyweight Oli Thompson is set to take on relative unknown Gzim Selmani as tries to tries to extend his post-UFC record to 4-1. Speaking to KingdomMMA ahead of the fight Thompson said: 

"I've gone 3-1 since I got cut from the UFC. I've got one loss which was against the KSW champion and that was a close points decision so I've got pretty good form after getting cut from the UFC."

"Defeat can make you assess yourself a lot more than when you're always winning. You don't necessarily change as much and adapt as much when you're winning. I guess it's one of the positives you can take from getting beaten."

Thompson is adamant that the end of his UFC stint in not the end of his MMA career, quite the opposite. He recalled his UFC experience, saying: "As far as I was concerned I was already building back up. It's still early in my career. I know when I was in UFC people kind of see you as you're at the top of your game and you can get knocked back down again but really I was still on my journey when I was fighting in the UFC. I'm bringing a lot more to the table now than I was then."

Moving on in his career, Thompson takes on Gzim Selmani at Bamma 15 in a fight that surprised a few when it was announced, with very few having any idea who Selmani or why he was being matched with Thompson.

Thompson explained the bout, saying:

"First and foremost there was some changes along the way and some opponents being banded about in front of me and some bigger names. The main cause of the fight for me motivation-wise was just purely because I wanted to fight and I'd rather fight than not fight." 

"I'm aware that this guy has not got a big name but he's just as dangerous, or more dangerous, than some of the other guys that I've faced along the way. They're all dangerous in their own way. I'm throwing this guy a bone because he's getting an opportunity without so much to lose. I do see that, but I could have been sat on my arse for another five or six weeks just going through the motions or go out and fight on a big show on London."

Thompsons BAMMA debut should be the first of several for the promotion as he aims to stay busy, with trips to Poland for KSW and the US planned as well.

He said: "I've got a few fights with BAMMA in the pipeline and we've talked about different future plans. Obviously I fight outside the UK, I fight in Poland and a few fights in the States as well. I've started mixing it up, I want to be busy as possible. I can't just fight for one promotion because it's limited how many fights you can get in a 12 month period and I want to be a lot more busy than I have been any other year before."

Despite the fact that he openly admits his opponent is not perhaps the name everyone had in mind when he agreed to fight for BAMMA, Thompson admits that he sees danger in Selmani, meaning he won't be taking his next outing lightly.

"This guy I'm fighting here comes from a good team, Golden Glory in Holland, he's a big kid and he's going to be coming here really hungry to come and get the biggest win he's ever had" Thompson said.

"I've watched a few bits of his fights and stuff. He's a young guy, he's fairly wild in what he does. It might be a case of fighting fire with fire and dampening his flame a little bit."

Her added: "I've got my own plans and if my plans come to fruition then I'm going to get the job done nice and quick and simple."

"I really think this could be a fight for the fans."

Not letting the UFC release after his defeat at the hands of Phil De Fries dent his confidence, Thompson is eager to build a nice little win streak for himself against some of Europe's elite heavyweights. He said: "My motivation is to just keep picking up wins and to keep improving." I've done quite well for myself whilst only sort of exploring and dipping in to maybe 50-per-cent of the things that I do in the gym. "

Oli Thompson takes on Gzim Selmani at BAMMA 15 from the Copper Box in London's Olympic Park on April 5.

Jake Bostwick on possible fight with Walter Gahadza "100% I'm up for the fight"

Jake Bostwick talks to Kingdom MMA about his recent twitter row with Walter Gahadza

by Ben Heather @benheather

Copyright: Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors

As I am sure you have all seen by now Jake Bostwick and Walter Gahadza have had some heated conversations on twitter recently and Jake told Kingdom MMA how it all began when he mentioned on twitter that they would have a great fight.

"I mentioned Walter in a post saying that me and him would have a great fight and that it should happen, then someone else replied to it. Then I said it all depends on what excuse he comes up with next. I was trying to get the fight with Walter a while ago when I was fighting for UWC as he was the "champ" but he said NO."

Since that first message it has snowballed to the point where Graham Boylan even offered up £3,000 as a winner takes all if both men agreed to fight on a Cage Warriors event. This was an offer which Jake Instantly accepted, but it wasnt the money which fueled his desire for the fight.

"100% I'm up for the fight, the 3k winner takes all is a great idea as the winner gets a nice bit of cash, but to be honest I'm not worried about the money I would like to just beat Walter and be that "bum" he lost to."

Although Jake is completely up for the fight, it seems that Walter is not as keen. One of the reasons he mentioned on twitter was Jake's record (14-8-1NC) compared to Walter's unbeaten record of (13-0) but Jake says all you have to do is look at the competition the two of them has fought.

"He knows and I know he has fought some bums, I have even had a couple of "easier" fights in my past but I have fought some real hard opponents, the likes of John Maguire, Jack Mason, John Phillips, Denniston Sutherland! Some I won, some I lost but at least I took that risk."

"apparently he was gonna be fighting Ryan Scope and I believe he is in the rankings but other then that I think he just wants to keep pushing them the W's."

"At the end of the day, Walter knows I'm a tough fight and knows he will get knocked the hell out, why would you want to fight me if that's the case."

One thing is for sure though, Jake certainly is not taking Walter lightly even saying he is a good fighter but its that test which is driving Jake to push for this fight. However, he feels a step up in opponent is the key to push his career and a fight with Bostwick could help do that.

To be honest Walter is a good fighter I'm not taking that from him, just feel he need to kinda take a step up and fight people that he thinks may beat him. That's the challenge for sure but feel it's always him fighting people that aren't really at his level! Like I said Walter is a good fighter, very well rounded and has a lot at the table.

If the fight does not come off against Walter though Jake will just look to the future and isn't looking to fight anyone specific. However unlike his last fight he will be looking to fight again back at Welterweight and we should see him back in action before the summer.

"If Walter don't fight me then there's plenty of other welterweights out there so I'm not worried really. I am not looking for anyone specific, I just want a good fight that gets people talking that is all. Hopefully I will fight around May/June time."

Vaughan Lee talks to Kingdom MMA after victory against Nam Phan in Macao

Vaughan Lee: UFC Fight Night Macao Post Fight Interview

by Ben Heather @benheather

 Last weekend in Macao Vaughan Lee squared off against Nam Phan, going in to the fight it was thought the fight would be a very closely contested bout. However, what happened in Macao could be described as the best performance of Lee's career as he outclassed Phan from start to finish. Now back in the UK Kingdom MMA caught up with Vaughan to talk about his fight and look to the future.

Ben: Firstly congratulations on what must be described as a near perfect performance. When did you fly back to the UK and did you have chance to do some sightseeing in Macao?
Lee: I flew back the day after the fight, and yeah I got to sight see quite a bit, I loved it.

Ben: Have you had chance to watch the fight back and if so, how did you rate your performance?
Lee: Yeah I've watched it 100 times lol, I'd rate my performance 8-9/10

Ben: How far ahead of your fight did you fly out to China to acclimatise?
Lee: We flew out one week before mainly to get over the jet lag and acclimatise.

Ben: Going in to the fight, what was the game plan and were you worried at all about any part of Phan's game?
Lee: I wasn't worried about anything, I wasn't thinking about winning or losing, I was just in the moment of the fight.

Ben: You started out in the first round with your hands really low and stayed like this for most of the fight, was this a psychological move to show Phan that you were not worried about his punches?
Lee: I kept my hands low so that I could use my head movement and just feel loose, not really a psychological tactic but more for comfort.

Ben: Your head and foot movement in the first round was immaculate it left Phan looking second rate and meant you were able to close the 4" reach advantage with ease and work your shots. Did you find it easier than expected to work from close range and get in and out without taking any punishment?
Lee: well anyone that trains with me knows that that's the way that I spar in the gym. I love to stay in the pocket and slip, dodge and counter punches and kicks from close quarters. So doing it in the UFC made me happy.

Ben: You also mixed up all your strikes working punches to the head/ body and legs as well as your kicks was this to constantly keep Phan from guessing where the next attack was coming from?
Lee: Yes to keep him guessing but also to make him hesitant and desperate at the same time. This exposed the holes in his game.

Ben: Would you say that first round was the best round of your MMA career? Complete dominance from you from start to finish.
Lee: Yes I would say it was my best performance to date.

Ben: Did it matter to you at all that you couldn't find the finish which would have been the cherry on the top for this performance?
Lee: It would have been great to get the finish and maybe I would have rated my performance a 10/10 if I had.

Ben: We recently interviewed Phil Harris and he said "Vaughan performed like he does in training, for me it was the performance of the night" how does it feel to receive such great compliments from a fellow fighter?
Lee: Naturally it feels great hearing stuff like that because it's the truth, like he said that's how I perform in training it's just having the confidence to do it in the octagon in front of the world.

Ben: Headlining the event was another UK fighter, John Hathaway. Did you manage to catch up with him while you was in Macao before and/ or after the fights? If after what did you say to him and did he seem ok? After all, after being knocked out like that our first thought was for his health and we all hoped that he was ok.
Lee: Yeah I caught up with John a few times and had chats but they weren't really related to our fights but more about what we're going to eat and drink after we weigh-in and how we think our boys are going to get on in London.. I caught up with him after the fight also and he seemed fine to be in high spirits.

Ben: You have now had 6 fights in the UFC bouncing between wins and losses. Do you think now you are in a good position to push for a win streak of the back of this performance?
Lee: If I can step into the Octagon with the same mentality as I did in Macau then I believe I can beat anybody.

Ben: Since joining the UFC you have fought in your home town of Birmingham, Japan, USA, London, Brazil and now China. What's it like to travel the world and do the job you love doing?
Lee: I'm living my dream, but sometimes living your dream is the hardest and scariest thing to do.

Ben: It could be said that two of your best performances in the UFC have been on events in Asia. First submitting Yamamoto in Japan and now outclassing Phan in Macao. Do you know what it is about fighting in Asia that seems to help your performance?
Lee: I believe it stems from being a little boy dreaming about fighting in Asia, the birth place of martial arts.

Ben: What's next for you, are you still planning to drop to 125 which was talked about before the fight? Or after such a dominant display can we see you sticking about at 135??
Lee: I'm still considering it.

Ben: If you could pick your next fight, who would it be and why?
Lee: To be honest I don't "want" to fight anyone in particular, but I'll fight anyone.

Ben: Did you come away from the fight injury free, if so when would you like to get back in to the octagon?
Lee: I'd love to get a win on the Ireland card being half Irish myself.

Ben: Would you like to thank anyone or any sponsors??
Lee: I'd like to thank Bad Boy, USN, The mouth guard shop, Jamie Reynolds and everyone at the UTC, Gym01 and Triquest gym

Thank you for your time Vaughan, we hope you get your wish and we see you next in Ireland.

Interview: Roland Delorme Talks Grant, Fight Pass, Sponsorship, and Fighting on Foreign Turf

Kingdom MMA Talks to Roland Delorme Ahead of UFC Fight Night 37
By Chris Houten - @mrhouts

Owner of one of the best ground games in the 135lb division, Roland Delorme is looking to make a statement this weekend when he meets the UK's Davey Grant at London's O2 Arena on the Fight Pass prelims of UFC Fight Night 37.

A contestant of TUF 14, Delorme started his career in the UFC 2-0 before losing by KO to Francisco Rivera however the result was later over turned due to Rivera testing positive for a banned substance.

Following the bout with Rivera, Delorme bounced back with a decision victory over Edwin Figueroa in his home town of Winnipeg, before losing a split decision to Alex Caceres in his most recent outing at UFC 165 in September.

With fight week in full swing we caught up with Delorme to discuss his fight with Davey Grant, fighting on Fight Pass, sponsorship, and fighting on Foreign Turf.

Houten: Your fight with Davey Grant will mark the first time fighting outside of North America, how excited are you to be fighting in London and how prepared are you for the boos from the 15,000 British fans in attendance?
Delorme: I'm extremely excited about fighting in London, it's a dream come true for me to fight abroad and I've always wanted to come to London so I'm killing two birds with one stone. I love when people hate me it just makes me wanna do better so I just brush it off and perform.

Have you put any thought in to cutting weigh in this Country? How do you think it will differ to cutting back home, and have / will you begin cutting earlier to prepare yourself?
Yeah cutting weight overseas is something I took into account and I'm lighter then usual to make it easier on my body considering travel and that I won't have the usual luxuries that I do at home.

Davey Grant is coming off a loss to Chris Holdsworth where he was outclassed on the ground, do you think Holdsworth has set the blueprint for you to beat Grant?
Obviously Grant's striking is his strong point but he's won 7 of 8 fights by submission so he's no fool on the ground but I definitely think that when I put him on his back he's gonna flop around like a fish to stand back up so I just gotta take him to deep water and drown him. As far as Holdsworth setting the blueprint I think that Grant has learned a lot from that and won't make the same mistakes so I gotta use a slightly different blueprint to get the same result.

How has you camp gone for this fight? Who have been working with in the build up to the fight?
My camps been great I have no issues and feel amazing. I have been at my home gym in Winnipeg getting prepared for this fight with the usual suspects of Curtis Brigham, Louis Fisette, Brad Katona and many other guys putting a hurt on me everyday.

Your fighting a dangerous striker in Grant, has to focus in this camp main been your stand up?
My focus is always my stand up, if I use it or not. If your not getting better your getting worse.

How willing are you to stand and trade with Grant in this fight? 
I've stood with better strikers when I was at my worst and unless we start on the ground then I don't really have much of a choice do I - Ha Ha Ha

This fight will mark you debut fighting on UFC Fight Pass, what do you think of the online network, and do you mind fighting on it?
I haven't seen Fight Pass yet and I'll fight anywhere the UFC pays me to. I don't care where and what I fight on, I get paid to lay a beating and business is good.

Has the fact your fighting on Fight Pass and outside of North America affected your ability to attracted sponsors for this fight?
Yes it has affected my sponsorship as in I'm not making as much as I usually do, but that just means I gotta fight better to make more money and I won't let myself down.
 
Who would you say competed on the tougher season of The Ultimate Fighter? 
My season was clearly tougher being the first bantamweight season ever and since my season everyone that has made it to the UFC has been doing great. Two guys are ranked in the top ten in the world and one fought for the title, Caraway is ranked just outside the top ten but I think he should be in it and all the other guys have winning records in the UFC so what do you think.

Finally how do you see yourself winning on Saturday?
I see myself just out working him pushing the pace and breaking him in the later rounds, he's never seen deep water and I'm a shark looking for a meal.

Phil Harris UFC Fight Night London Pre Fight Interview

Phil Harris talks to Kingdom MMA ahead of his fight in London

by Sam Heard @SamHeard_

On Saturday night in London's O2 arena the UFC will return to England for UFC Fight Night London: Gustafsson vs Manuwa. Opening up the event on Saturday night will be Phil Harris who will face off against Louis Gaudinot in a flyweight battle. Phil returns to fight in London where last February he picked up his first win in the Octagon and will be looking to add to that this weekend. Today Phil took some time out of his schedule to talk to Kingdom MMA about his fight and a few more topics such as John Lineker, Vaughan Lee and Davey Grant.

Sam: Thanks again for the interview ahead of your fight in London, we really appreciate your time.
How are you feeling with just under a week to go before the big fight? Has the training camp gone well?
Harris: Training camp has been very good, I'm feeling great and ready to fight.

Sam: Gaudinot clearly represents a completely different challenge to John Lineker, but are there any adjustments you will be making from your last fight?
Harris: We've worked on a few things for this fight that I'll be putting into action come Saturday.

Sam: At 1-2 in the UFC do you see this fight as all or nothing for your UFC career?
Harris: Pretty much, but I don't think about it.

Sam: Let's take a look back to your last fight, How did you feel when Lineker once again failed to make weight last October? Do you feel it put you at a disadvantage?
Harris: Being heavier is definitely an advantage it's annoying, I knew it was likely that he would miss weight.

Sam: Would you agree that in your last fight after getting caught with some heavy punches early on you forgot about your game plan and tried to compete with Lineker at his own game?
Harris: Yeah I made the mistake of wanting to get into a war and get FOTN I've learnt a lot from fight.

Sam: Do you think if you were given the opportunity to fight Lineker and stuck to the plan you had trained it would have been a different outcome?
Harris: Definitely I'd love to fight him again at some point.

Sam: The man who beat Gaudinot in his last fight is now scheduled to fight rank #2 Joseph Benavidez. Where do you hope a win over Gaudinot would put you in the division?
Harris: Just as long as I'm moving up closer to that title I'm happy, I think that's a way off ATM though. I've got to get some solid wins first.

Sam: You’ve fought in some of the biggest venues around the country from Wembley to the Phones 4U arena and will soon be throwing down in the O2 arena. Would you say it’s preferential to fight in London, closer to your hometown in Portsmouth, over Manchester or does it not really factor in?
Harris: I like fighting in London it feels like home to me, the fans will be behind me, it will give me that little edge.

Sam: With a win in London, would you like your next fight to still be on a UK UFC event or would you like to travel the world and fight like your fellow UFC fighter and occasional training partner Vaughan Lee?
Harris: I do prefer fighting in the UK but I'd like a fight in Vegas the home of fighting!

Sam: Have you had chance to see Vaughan Lee's fight yet and if so what did you think to Vaughan's performance in Macau?
Harris: I've just seen it, Vaughan performed like he does in training, for me it was the performance of the night. I was very impressed and very happy for him.

Sam: What has it been like experiencing the growth of MMA in the UK having been one of the early pioneers in the UK?
Harris: It's come along way from the days of training in garages and fighting in tiny clubs full of smoke. It's a great sport and I can't wait to see how it continues to evolve over the next 10 years.

Sam: Also on the same card as you is the guy you have been training with for this event, Davey Grant. What's it been like training with Davey and have you picked up any skills from him that you will be using in this fight?
Harris: Davey is a top guy it was great having him at the gym, we both got a lot out of training together and I will for sure be doing it again. I'm looking forward to seeing him win his fight.

Sam: Would you like to thank any one?
Harris: Thanks to all my sponsors and all at gym01 Portsmouth.

Best of luck with your fight on March 8th, thank you so much for your time Phil, we really appreciate it.