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.

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

Louis Gaudinot vs Phil Harris Added to UFC Fight Night 37 in London

Louis Gaudinot vs Phil Harris Added to UFC Fight Night 37 in London 
by Chris Houten - @mrhouts

A flyweight bout between England's Phil Harris and TUF 14 contestant Louis Gaudinot is the last addition to UFC Fight Night 37: Gustafsson vs Manuwa.

UFC Fight Night 37 takes place March 8 at London’s O2 Arena, and will stream on the UFC's new online subscription service, Fight Pass. Ticket go on general sale on Friday the 31st of January, with UFC newsletter subscribers able to purchase on the 30th, and UFC Fight Club members able to purchase on the 29th.

Former Ring of Combat Flyweight Champion Louis Gaudinot (6-3 MMA, 1-2 UFC) got his break in the UFC via the TUF 14 house, where he fought as a Bantamweight beating British veteran Paul McVeigh for a place in the house. Gaudinot was defeated in his only fight in the house when he fought Dustin Pague in a fight which netted both Gaudinot and Pague $25,000 each for fight of the season. Gaudinot later fought at The TUF 14 finale where he was beaten by the much larger Johnny Bedford.

Following losses to Pague and Bedford, the 29-year-old returned to flyweight where he has previously been ranked as high as 7th in the world to defeat current flyweight contender John Lineker at UFC of FOX: Diaz vs Miller, before losing to Time Elliot at UFC 164.  
 
His opponent Phil Harris enters the bout with an identical UFC record as Gaudinot of 1 win and 2 loss. A pro for over 10 years, Harris (22-11 MMA, 1-2 UFC) made his UFC debut on the back of a 5 fight win streak which included a decision victory over Neil Seery. Debuting at UFC on FX: Browne vs Bigfoot, Harris was defeated by Darren Uyenoyama by Rear Naked Choke in the 2nd round.

The 30-year old Judo Blackbelt returned at UFC on Fuel 7 in London to defeat former Tachi Palace Champion Ulysses Gomez via unanimous decision. Harris then fought John Lineker at UFC Fight Night 30 who knocked out Harris in the first round.

With the addition of Gaudinot vs Harris, UFC Fight Nightg 37 includes:

Alexander Gustafsson vs. Jimi Manuwa
Melvin Guillard vs. Ross Pearson
Ian McCall vs. Brad Pickett
Cyrille Diabate vs. Ilir Latifi
Omari Akhmedov vs. Gunnar Nelson
Louis Gaudinot and Phil Harris
Igor Araujo vs. Danny Mitchell
Luke Barnatt vs. Mats Nilsson
Brad Scott vs. Claudio Henrique da Silva