Mirko Cro Cop vs Sergei Kharitonov to Main Event Glory 17

Mirko Cro Cop vs Sergei Kharitonov to Main Event Glory 17
by Chris Houten - @mrhouts

Two former Pride superstars have verbally agreed to face each other in a kickboxing match at Glory 17.

Mirko 'Cro Cop' Filipovic will take on fellow Eastern European Sergei Kharitonov in the main event at GLORY 17: 'Los Angeles'.

Glory 17 takes place June 21st at The Forum, Inglewood, California. Previous Glory events have been made available to UK viewers through BT Sports, however broadcast information for this event has yet to be confirmed.

Fighting for the second under the Glory banner, Mirko Cro Cop enters the bout looking to bounce back from a decision losses to Remy Bonjasky at Glory 14 in his home nation of Croatia.

A legend in combat sports, Mirko Cro Cop, is the only fighter in combat sports history to win and K-1 and Pride FC Grand Prix; he also hold the Pride record for most finishes with 16.

Having fought MMA rules under the Pride, Dream, and the UFC banner, Cro Cop returned to kickboxing in 2012, where he originally made his name, to defeat Ray Sefo in his return bout, before putting together a series of victories on route to winning K1 World Grand Prix 2012. Cro Cop entered the bout with a 22-8 kickboxing record; the bout with Kharitonov will mark the first time Cro Cop has fought in the US in a kickboxing fight.

Ranked at 8 in the Glory Heavyweight rankings, Kharitonov makes a quick return to the ring having recently lost by unanimous decision to Anderson "Braddock" Silva in the heavyweight "contender" tournament at  last weeks GLORY 16: "Denver."

A 25 fight professional mixed martial arts fighter, Kharitonov who holds notable MMA wins over Fabricio Wedum, Alistair Overeem, and Andrei Arlovski, made the switch to kicking boxing when he joined Glory in 2012. Since joining the promotion the Russian has put together a 2-2 record with wins over Daniel Sam and Jerome Le Banner, and losses coming to number 2 ranked heavyweight Ricco Verhoeven and the aforementioned Anderson Silva.

Also on the card is a 4 man featherweight tournament featuring former WEC champion Miguel Torres, making his promotional debut.

Stay tuned to KingdomMMA.co.uk for all the latest on Glory 17

Anthony Rumble Johnson vs Rogerio Minotouro Nogueira set for UFC on Fox 12 in San Jose

Anthony Rumble Johnson vs Rogerio Minotouro Nogueira set for UFC on Fox 12 in San Jose 
@_Alexdillon_

Light Heavyweights Anthony ‘Rumble’ Johnson and Rogerio ‘Minotouro’ Nogueria will collide at UFC on Fox 12 in San Jose, California. The FOX card will take place at the SAP center on 26th July. UFC officials confirm the bout this afternoon.

After being cut from the UFC back in January 2012 following a loss to Vitor Belfort after failing to make weight, Johnson has been on a tear in different promotions such as Titan Fighting Championships, XFL and World Series of Fighting and is currently riding an impressive 7 fight win streak. In WSOF he amassed victories over recently resigned UFC heavyweight Andrei Arlovski at Heavyweight and Strikeforce/UFC vet Mike Kyle.

Johnson made his much anticipated return to the UFC last month in Baltimore at UFC 172 and gained an impressive victory over highly ranked Light Heavyweight contender Phil Davis dominating him over 3 rounds to a decision victory.

It’s been quite a different story for Rogerio Minotouro Nogueria in recent times. Having not fought since a Unanimous Decision victory over Rashad Evans on Feb 8 2013 and before that he last fought in 2011, Nogueria has remained sidelined due to injury. He was originally scheduled to fight Alexander Gustaffson at UFC Fight Night London back in March but was forced to pull out due to a back injury more or less straight after the bout was announced.

A scalp over long time Light Heavyweight contender Rashad Evans in his last outing in the UFC looked promising for Nogueria before his injury and he will hope to bring that momentum into this fight with Rumble Johnson who is full of confidence and will be looking to defeat Nogueria as he looks at getting closer to a shot at Jon Jones 205lb title.

This bout promises to have fireworks as Johnson is on a tear and seemingly heading towards being a top contender in the Light Heavyweight division and Nogueria is more or less fighting to stay relevant in the top 10 of the division. A win for either fighter really puts the division on notice.

Stay tuned to KingdomMMA.co.uk in the coming weeks for more fight card news regarding UFC on Fox 12.

Jefferson George and Jordan Miller Meet for WFS Lightweight Title

Jefferson George and Jordan Miller Meet for WFS Lightweight Title  
by Chris Houten - @mrhouts

3 time BAMMA competitor Jefferson George is set to take on 22 fight veteran Jordan Miller at Warrior Fight Series for the Lightweight title at the promotions debut show.

WFS MMA 1 takes place on June 14th at the White Oaks Centre in Swanley, Kent. Tickets are on sale HERE.

A product of Morefire Icon Jui Jitsu in Luton, George who's nick name is 'Shadow Demon Blaximus' is 4-2 in his professional career with all 3 his 4 victories coming by way of submission.

George who recently defeated Jack Grant at BAMMA 15, will hope to build on that victory when he heads to Poland May 17th to fight at KSW 17, before returning to fight for the WSF Lightweight Title in June. He said:

“It’s a great opportunity for me to fight my first title. Jordan is a solid competitor whose only losses have been against opponents who have gone on to have great careers at the higher levels of international MMA. [WSF promotor] Harry’s [Shoebridge] a top guy and WFS should be the start of a fantastic promotion. He’s got a great pedigree and it’s going be good to see Harry stand on his own two feet and show the world what he can do. Looking forward to June 14th and if anyone wants to come along get in touch ASAP as there are limited tickets available. Look forward to the fireworks.”

His opponent, game UK veteran Jordan Miller enter the bout with an official record of 8-14 but is believe to have an even great record if you include unrecorded bouts. A pro since 2005, shared the cage with many other world class fighters such as Jason Young, Ronnie Mann, Brad Pickett, Andre Winner, and more. Entering the bout on a 2 fight losing streak, Miller who has had mixed success on the ground with 5 victories and 11 losses by submission, said:

 “I’m very happy to be fighting on WFS, I’ve re-evaluated my training and my corner, so a different fighter will be stepping into the cage come June 14th. As for my opponent, Jefferson who…?? I’m only joking, it’ll be a good fight, guaranteed to be a crowd pleaser.”

Stay tuned to KingdomMMA.co.uk for all the latest on WSF MMA 1

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

Kingdom MMA Review the Cage Warriors Welterweight Division

by Sam Heard @SamHeard_

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Cody Donovan vs. Nikita Krylov Set For UFC Dublin

Cody Donovan vs. Nikita Krylov Set For UFC Dublin
by Chris Houten - @mrhouts

Cody Donovan will meet Nikita Krylov at UFC Dublin in a potential loser goes home match up.

UFC Dublin takes place July 19th at the The O2 Arena. Tickets for will go on sale to the general public at 10am on Friday 6th June and can be purchased from www.ticketmaster.ie and www.theo2.ie

Fighting for the 4th time in his UFC Career, Cody Donovan (8-4 MMA, 1-2 UFC) will be faced with the prospect of needing a win to save his UFC career when he takes on Nikita Krylov in Dublin in July.

A product of Grudge Training Center, and a Brazilian Jui Jitsu black belt under Nate Marquart, Donovan began his UFC career with a knockout victory over Nick Penner at UFC on FX: Sotiropoulos vs. Pearson as a last minute replacement for injured Eddie Mendez. Taking the bout on just 9 days notice, Donovan was able to despatch of Penner in the first round in an entertaining bout which earned Fight of the Night honors.

Following his victory over Penner, Donovan faced Ovince St. Preux on August 17, 2013 at UFC Fight Night 26, to whom he lost by first round TKO. In his most recent outing the 33 year old from Iowa, who has previous competed in Bellator, lost to Gian Villante, again by TKO to extending his losing streak to 2, making it vital he picks up a win in his next bout. 

At Just 22-years old former heavyweight Nikita Krylov (16-4 MMA, 1-2 UFC), is one the youngest fighters on the UFC roster. A native of Ukraine, Krylov has not been short of leaving lasting memories - good and bad, since making his UFC debut in 2013.

Joining the UFC on the back of a 15-2 record, with 2 career losses coming to Vladimir Mishchenko, Krylov made his UFC debut at heavyweight against Australia's Soa Palelei, in a bout which Kingdom MMA staff named the worst fight of 2013 with both men gassing badly, and Krylov eventually losing by TKO in the 3rd round.

Krylov returned in January, in the opening bout of UFC on Fox: Henderson vs. Thomson, to face Walter Harris, who he defeated with a highlight reel, 25-second headkick TKO. Following the bout Krylov told journalists he would be dropping to Light-heavyweight.

Krylov made his 205lb debut against Ovince St. Preux - a common opponent to Donovan, at UFC 171 however he was unsuccessful in his new weight division losing by Von Flue Choke in first round.

Stay tuned to KingdomMMA.co.uk for all the latest on UFC Dublin

Jake Bostwick vs Simeon Thoresen set for Cage Warriors Super Saturday

Bostwick vs Thoresen set for Cage Warriors 69

by Ben Heather @benheather

Copyright: Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors

Cage Warriors 69 has a lot of hype surrounding the event due to the recent announcement that it will have two main cards on one night and is now being named "Super Saturday" up until the past couple of days the only fight which was announced was a lightweight battle for the vacant Cage Warriors title between Stevie Ray and Curt Warburton. Now the fight card is starting to come together as a welterweight battle between two of the top competitors in the division has been added. That fight is Jake Bostwick (14-8-1) vs Simeon Thoresen (17-4).

Jake Bostwick comes in to the fight with a 7 fight win streak, with his most recent win coming at Cage Warriors 64 when he defeated Boubacar Balde. That fight was at middleweight but he is now back down to welterweight for this fight.

We recently caught up with Jake to find out how the fight came about

"My Managment (Infinity Management) got in touch with my coach Kieran Keddle about the Simeon fight and Kieran kind of accepted it before talking to me, knowing what potential it had. My coaches both Kieran Keddle and Mickey papas know I have the tools to take out Simeon and that made me want the fight more."

"I'm really looking forward to the fight also, I hope to get a great KO victory yet again. Simeon's a great opponent but this is my fight! I need this more then he does, I'm younger and more hungry for it."

As for where a win over Thoresen takes him Bostwick was staying grounded.

"I take each fight as it comes, Simeon is definitely my next step forward for sure, can't say if a title is in the picture but let's get this win first then see"

Simeon Thoresen will be fighting for the first time since his release from the UFC after a 1-2 run in the promotion. His last fight was back in January 2013 so I am sure come June 7th he will be ready to go to war as he returns to Cage Warriors. A 51 second KO win against Matt Thorpe in July 2008 was his only other appearance for Cage Warriors. A win over Jake Bostwick, ending his winning streak would show the other contenders in the welterweight division that Thoreson is back and means business.

Cage Warriors 69 takes place on June 7th as Cage Warriors returns to London once again with the event being staged at The Forum, Kentish Town. If these two fights are anything to go by it will certainly be a Super Saturday in June. Stay tuned for more news once it has been announced.

Eduardo Dantas Injured, Joe Warren Meets Rafael Silva at Bellator 118

Eduardo Dantas Injured, Joe Warren Meets Rafael Silva at Bellator 118

Reigning Bellator Bantamweight Champion Eduardo Dantas will be sidelined indefinitely after suffering a head injury in training. Originally scheduled to face Joe Warren on Friday, May 2nd, the Brazilian phenom will be replaced by 21-3 Bellator Bantamweight Tournament winner Rafael Silva, as he battles “The Baddest Man On The Planet” Joe Warren for the Bellator Interim Bantamweight World title live on Spike.

“We take head injuries very seriously, and when we were notified that Eduardo was dealing with a head injury, we immediately flew him from Brazil to California to be examined by some of the leading specialists in the field. We are hopeful Eduardo will be able to resume his career later this year, but in the interim we have two incredible tournament winners ready to challenge for the Bellator World Title.  Two of the best on the planet in Joe Warren and Rafael Silva will fight for the title and when Dantas is able to return, he will challenge the winner for the undisputed Bellator World Title.”

“This is setback for me,” Dantas said. “I’m not feeling right at the moment, but I am a fighter and have been a fighter since my childhood and I promise that I will be back stronger than ever. I want to thank Bjorn and Bellator for taking care of me during this process, for flying me across the world to get top specialists to see me. And, when I am ready to fight, I will show everyone once again why the belt has been wrapped around my waist.”

No stranger to championships fights, Warren looks to capture his second World Title as the former Featherweight Champion looks to dominate the 21-3 Silva. Warren punched his ticket to a title shot with his Season 9 Tournament run that included two dominate finishes, and will be looking to make quick work of Silva.

“It doesn’t matter which Brazilian they throw at me, I’m going to destroy who is ever across the cage from me,” Warren said. “It sucks Dantas got injured as I was focused on destroying him and taking his belt.  But, now I’ll destroy Silva and Dantas can try to come and take my belt.”

Riding a dominant 13 fight win streak stretching over four years, Silva has his sights set on moving his record to 22-3 with the biggest victory of his career when he faces Warren. The Brazilian finisher recently suffered a setback after dealing with a knee injury that required surgery, but now healthy, Silva is looking to take the next step in his career with a World title win over Warren.

“I’m healthy, and I’m ready to fight,” Silva proclaimed. “I know Warren always likes to talk, but this fight isn’t going to be about talking, it’s going to be about who is the better fighter, and everyone is going to see who that is on May 2nd. I’ve always wanted to face Dantas, and now Joe Warren is in my way. I’ll take care of that shortly.”

The full fight card for Bellator 118 is listed below: 

Main Card
Eduardo Dantas vs Joe Warren - For the Bellator Bantamweight Title
Andrey Koreshkov vs Sam Oropeza - Welterweight Semi-Final Bout
Marcos Galvao vs Thomas Vasquez - Welterweight Semi-Final Bout
Liam McGeary vs Mike Mucitelli

Preliminary Card
Dante Rivera vs Tim Woods
Ryan Cotaldi vs Jesus Martinez
Darrion Caldwell vs Joe Pingitore
Lester Caslow vs Jay Haas
Julian Lane vs Anthony Morrison
Pat Bennett vs John Fain
Mike Bannon vs Sidney Outlaw
Amran Aliyev vs Kevin Roddy

Dan Henderson vs Daniel Cormier announced for UFC 173

Henderson vs Cormier set to decide the future number 1 contender

by Ben Heather @benheather

The UFC twitter account got everyone excited this afternoon when it tweeted that Dana White would today announce some "Breaking News" on Sports Center on ESPN in the states. As always this started all kinds of rumours being posted on Twitter but not long after all was revealed as Dana announced that Dan Henderson would meet Daniel Cormier as the Co Main Event of UFC 173.

Both men come in to the fight off the back of knockout victories, Dan Henderson knocked out Shogun Rua one month ago today and Daniel Cormier easily finished Pat Cummins back at UFC 170 in February.

Henderson (30-11 MMA 7-5 UFC) ended a three fight losing streak when he came back from the brink to knock out Shogun Rua in a fight he was easily losing. However, when you have the power Henderson does in his fists and manage to land a H-Bomb in a fight it changes everything.

Can Henderson get back to a title shot, which he already had until he had to pull out of the fight with Jones at the ill fated UFC 151, the event which never actually took place. The big thing to remember for this fight though is it will be the first time in a few years where Henderson will not have TRT to help him. What impact will this have on his game, only time will tell.

Cormier (14-0 MMA 3-0 UFC) comes in to this fight knowing a win will get him a shot at Jon Jones, who he has been chasing to fight ever since he came over to the UFC.

Since joining the UFC Cormier has improved in every performance. His first fight wasn't the best for the fans to watch but he got the better of Frank Mir. Next up for Cormier was a potentially tricky fight with Roy Nelson, again it may not have been the best performance for the fans but Cormier easily won the fight.

His most recent fight should have been against Rashad Evans as Cormier dropped down to light heavyweight for the first time, unfortunately Evans got injured and on short notice the fight was scrapped. That was when Pat Cummings stepped in, a former wrestling partner of Cormier who had talked his way in to the UFC to fight on about a weeks notice. Cormier however didn't ease up and cruise in the fight, he destroyed Cummings in just over a minute.

Fighting Henderson will be a first test for Cormier at light heavyweight and will be the name he needs to help justify a title shot.

With Gustafsson next in line for the winner of Jones vs Teixeira I think the more realistic option will be a fight between the winner of this fight and the winner of the Phil Davis vs Anthony Johnson fight this weekend at UFC 172. I know Dana said that the winner of this will be the next number one contender but that will involve sitting on the sidelines for a good 6 months, so I think one more fight will be required for either man before they get a shot at the title.

Vaughan Lee added to UFC Fight Night Berlin

Alcantara vs Lee announced for UFC Fight Night 41

by Ben Heather @benheather

Vaughan Lee is set to return to action on May 31st as the UFC returns to Germany and he will meet Iuri Alcantara, the number 7 ranked bantamweight in Berlin.

Lee (14-9-1 MMA 3-3 UFC) comes in to this fight after his best performance in the Octagon in March at the TUF China Finale where he picked apart Nam Phan for three rounds and showed off his incredible striking skills. Vaughan Lee has been very inconsistent in the Octagon, alternating between losses and wins but will be looking to string together wins for the first time in the UFC.

If he does pull it off it should catapult Lee in to the rankings especially if he does it in the fashion which he did against Nam Phan however, Alcantara is certainly a step up from Phan. I don't think Lee will be phased though having already fought both TJ Dillashaw and Raphael Assuncao within the past two years. Although those fights didn't go the way Vaughan would have liked, he will have improved as a result of them and I believe this helped him put on the performance he did last time out.

Alcantara (29-5-1 MMA 4-2-1 UFC) comes in to the fight having defeated Wilson Reis back in February, this was the first time we had seen Alcantara back in the Octagon after his battle with Urijah Faber. The fight in Berlin will see Alcantara fight in Europe for the first time having only fought in North and South America previously. Could this play a factor in the fight only time will tell.

UFC Fight Night 41 is headlined by a middleweight clash between Mark Munoz and Gegard Mousasi. Also on the main card are a couple more middleweight match ups as Francis Carmont takes on CB Dollaway and England's own Luke Barnatt battles Sean Strickland.

Joseph Duffy Returns to Cage Warriors

Joseph Duffy Returns to Cage Warriors
by Chris Houten - @mrhouts

Photo: Tommy Lakes

Former Cage Warriors title contender Joseph Duffy, has signed a 5 fight deal which will see the Irishman return to the promotions lightweight division.

Having previously fought for Cage Warriors on 5 previous occasions, the 26-year-old hasn't fought in an MMA bout since 2011, having decided to try his hand at professional boxing, following his CWFC 44 submission loss to Ivan Musardo, a bout which was for the lightweight title.

Duffy debuted as a professional boxer in March of last year, going on to put together an undefeated 7-0 record, which included two wins by TKO, however Duffy said his love of mixed martial arts has given him a desire to return to the cage: 

“It’s been a hard few weeks and I’ve had some huge decisions to make, but I’ve decided to make a return to the cage,”

“I was fortunate to have the opportunity to train under a world-class boxing trainer in John Tandy, but it’s hard to escape the fact that my heart will always be in MMA.

“I’m really excited about competing for Cage Warriors again, and my plans are to add a few KOs to my record and then mix it up with the guys at the top.”

10-1 in for professional MMA career, Duffy, a black belt in BJJ, has finished 9 of his 10 victories - 2 by TKO, 7 by submission, and is the last man to defeat UFC high-flyers Norman Parke and Conor McGregor, both which he defeated by submission. Duffy will be back in Cage Warriors action later this year, with his return scheduled for CWFC 70 at The Helix in Dublin, Ireland, on Saturday, August 16.

Cage Warriors CEO Graham Boylan said:

“Joe went 7-0 as a professional boxer in the space of a year, having worked under John Tandy, one of the best trainers in the world of boxing.

“Adding that to the fact that he is a jujitsu black belt and already has a 10-1 MMA record, this has been a huge decision for Joe but it’s a very exciting development for CWFC fans.”

Stay tuned to KingdomMMA for all the latest on Cage Warriors 70

Bamma 15 Event Review and Results

Bamma 15 Event Review and Results
by Sam Heard - @samheard_

Held in the Copperbox in the middle of London’s Olympic park, BAMMA took an amazing venue and filled it suitably excellent fights at their most recent event, BAMMA 15. Knowing all the Olympic contests that took place within the main arena just under two years ago, I couldn’t help but think that organising a night of fights in a former-Olympic building could potentially be seen as a statement about MMA’s claim to Olympic sport status. Indeed, one of the sports included in the early Olympic Games in Greece was Pankration which is arguably a direct predecessor of MMA. BAMMA 15 certainly made a case that MMA deserves to be recognised as an Olympic sport – throughout the fight we saw enormous amounts of respect being given from fighters to their opponents, incredible martial arts techniques and bags of heart.

Gzim Selmani (4-1, 1-0 BAMMA) defeats Oli Thompson (12-6, 0-1 BAMMA) by Technical Submission (Guillotine choke) at 0:18 of Round 1 
Oli Thompson was a huge favorite going into this fight and it’s not exactly difficult to understand why. A UFC-veteran, former UCMMA Champion and Britain’s strongest man of 2006 against a 19-year-old with only four fights under his belt against unknowns – it’s not hard to see why Gzim Selmani was considered to be a big underdog. The gigantic teenager lived up to his nickname “The Albanian Psycho”, shocking Oli Thompson with his aggressive start. He ran over to the former UFC fighter and delivered a huge flying knee ala B.J Penn-Sean Sherk which left Thompson slumped down against the cage. He then fired off a flurry allowing him to lock in a standing guillotine which – after a small adjustment – was extremely tight. Mark Goddard lifted Thompson’s right hand only for it to flop to the mat, giving him no option but to stop the fight. It took “The Albanian Psycho” just 18-seconds to put an extremely tough competitor to sleep – what an end to the night!


Leon Edwards (7-1, 4-0 BAMMA) defeats Wayne Murrie (17-6, 1-1 BAMMA) by Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) at 3:13 of Round 1
In the first defense of his BAMMA Lonsdale British Welterweight Champion Wayne “The Caveman” Murrie was quickly put away by “Rocky”, to the delight of the following Edwards had brought with him from Birmingham. To the chant of ‘UTC’ Edwards was able to overwhelm Murrie on the ground, quickly taking his back before sinking in a deep Rear-Naked Choke to force the tap from the Yorkshireman. A clinical performance from “Rocky”.

Colin Fletcher (10-4, 4-1 BAMMA) defeats Tony Hervey (16-16, 0-1 BAMMA) by Split Decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Those who thought this was a gimme fight for Colin “Freakshow” Fletcher to build on after a disappointing loss to Mansour Barnaoui’ for his Lightweight title couldn’t be more mistaken. Hervey has been in there with some of the sport’s finest including Takanori Gomi and current Bellator Featherweight champion Pat Curran and proved to be an extremely game competitor against “Freakshow” who arguably did enough to win the fight. In his typical theatrical, larger-than-life style “Freakshow” came out atop a pantomime horse (presumably in honor of the Grand National). The jokes came to an abrupt stop at the start of the fight as both men hit each other with some big shots – Fletcher utilizing his height advantage to land some big knees and body kicks while Hervey landed some big counter hooks as “Freakshow” rushed in. Near the close of the second round “Lionheart” was able to badly rock Fletcher on the feet, prevented from getting the finish only by end of the round. My pick for the Fight of the Night. In his post-fight interview the always classy Colin Fletcher stated that he would’ve happily lost the fight as he believed Hervey was just as worthy of the victory.

Tom Duquesnoy (9-1, 2-0 BAMMA) defeats Teddy Violet (8-1, 0-1 BAMMA) by Submission (Triangle Choke) at 1:29 of Round 2
The clash of French Flyweights for the BAMMA World Featherweight Title Fight was a thoroughly entertaining affair which I was sorry to see finish and I am now deeply interested in the career of Tom “Firekid” Duquesnoy. In the six-and-a-half minutes he fought “Firekid” was able to show what he’s all about, displaying his extremely well-rounded arsenal of skills against an unbeaten opponent in fellow countryman Teddy Violet. Violet came into this fight with a decent MMA grappling pedigree of his own but in the end was overwhelmed by a flawlessly executed Triangle Choke from “Firekid”. With no doubt one of the night’s finest performances.

Harry McLeman (7-2, 3-0 BAMMA) defeats Andy De-Vent (10-9, 0-1 BAMMA) by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
After an intense stare-down at Friday afternoon’s weigh ins I had high hopes for this scrap for the BAMMA Lonsdale British Middleweight Champion and it certainly didn’t disappoint and I believe could’ve gone either way. The round which hung in the balance was the second. “Mad Mac” came out incredibly strong in the first, beautifully changing levels with strikes and takedown attempts and eventually rocking De-Vent on the feet which led to a near submission via Guillatine. However, after this strong start, the new British Middleweight Champ became increasingly fatigued as the fight went on allowing De-Vent to come back into the fight. Despite gassing fairly early, “Mad Mac” was able to muster up a final burst deep into the third round, swinging for the fences as the fight ended – that’s the way to win a belt!

Ryan Scope (8-0, 2-0 BAMMA) defeats Ali Arish (20-3, 0-1 BAMMA) by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Ryan Scope grabbed the attention of the UKMMA community when he caught former TUF competitor Luke Newman in a Triangle Choke at BAMMA 12 after being brutally rocked on the feet. As he explained to us in the pre-fight interview we conducted, Scope once again felt like he was the underdog going up an extremely opponent in Ali Arish. Despite his underdog status, “Big Baby” was able to pull off another come-from-behind victory as he lost a tentative first round to Arish before pouring it on him in the following rounds, badly rocking the Manchester-based fighter in the third. Despite picking up the win, Scope explained after the fight that he suspected he had broken his foot.

Rany Saadeh (6-1, 2-0 BAMMA) defeats Mahmood Besharate (5-1, 2-1 BAMMA) by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
The clash of Flyweights normally results in a highly entertaining, back-and-forth fight. Unfortunately this match-up didn’t live up to the weight class’ reputation as Rany Saadeh kept taking Besharate down to the mat and controlling him en route to an uncontroversial yet dull decision victory. Saadeh never threatened to finish from top position and indeed the fighters were stood up by referee Mark Woodard on more than one occasion. “Persian Pride” started to mount some offence in the third round with some heavy body and led kicks but just as he got into a rhythm Saadeh again scored the takedown. It was perhaps this frustration that has led Besharate to announce that he intends to retire from the sport.

Jefferson George (4-2, 2-1 BAMMA) defeats Jack Grant (6-1, 0-1 BAMMA) by Split Decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
The first decision of the evening was a closely fought affair between then-undefeated Jack Grant and Jefferson George. The only round which was clear-cut for me was the first. As the nickname “Shadow Demon Blaximus” would suggest, Jefferson George is a flamboyant fighter who will risk either eating shots or losing position for the sake of putting on a show. This style certainly was ineffective in R1 as
Grant was able to take George down and control him for the vast majority of the 5-minutes. One takedown was particularly memorable; a mighty German Suplex straight out of Kurt Angle’s playbook. Grant was able to maintain periods of control over George in the subsequent rounds which in my opinion was enough to win the fight, however “Shadow Demon Blaximus” did look dangerous at times and this was enough to narrowly win him the nod from the judges. Jack Grant has subsequently tweeted “I felt I did enough feel robbed & gutted back to the drawing board for me”.
 
Alex Montagnani (6-1 MMA, 1-0 BAMMA) defeats Nathan Jones (4-2, 0-1 BAMMA) by Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) at 2:43 of Round 1
Prior to the cage door being closed and these two men throwing down, you will be forgiven for expecting this fight to play out very differently. Alex Montagnani had won all 5 of his fights by KO/TKO while 100% of Nathan “Mr. Bag N Tag” Jones had come via frst round chokes; the phrase 'Striker vs Grappler' had seemigly never been more relevant. However, this bout proved just how unpredictable MMA. Jones – as you’d expect – was relentlessly pursuing the takedown only to be reversed with Montagnani on top of him. Montagnani then took his back and locked up the card’s third consecutive Rear-Naked Choke.

Andy Craven (4-0 MMA, 2-0 BAMMA) defeats Richard Edwards (1-3 MMA, 0-1 BAMMA) by Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) at 2:12 of Round 1
Andy Craven – who had failed to meet the Featherweight division’s 145-lbs limit – negated any of the resulting concerns surrounding his cardio when he made short work of Richard Edwards. Craven quickly caught Edwards with a howitzer of an overhand right which immediately dropped the Keddles Gym fighter. Craven smelt blood and followed up with two huge shots to the grounded fighter before coolly taking Edwards’ back to lock up the Rear-Naked Choke, extending his record of winning all fights by submission.

Ed Arthur (3-0 MMA, 2-0 BAMMA) defeats Nathaniel Wood (4-1 MMA, 0-1 BAMMA) by Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) at 1:48 of Round 3
The clash of unbeaten Bantamweights both putting their flawless records on the line promised a lot and certainly lived up to expectations. Both men displayed some terrific striking and grappling skills and the fight looked sure to be left in the hands of the judges. However, both men held records with 100% finishes and this trend was set to continue when Ed Arthur was able to dig a little deeper and pull off a slick Rear Naked Choke, forcing the understandably fatigued Wood to tap.

Jacek Toczydlowski (5-4 MMA, 1-0 BAMMA) defeats Benny Carr (3-1 MMA, 1-0 BAMMA) by TKO (submission to strikes) at 1:32 of Round 1
Prior to this fight there had been a great deal of buzz surrounding Benny “Brutal” Carr who had proved worthy of his nickname through winning all his professional fights through one-sided TKOs. Jacek Toczydlowski – who made his pro debut way back in 2006 – was doubtless the toughest test of Benny Carr’s short career and proved too much for the Southampton-based fighter. To the dismay of the partisan crowd who zealously cheered Carr on, Toczydlowski was able to rapidly take him down and rain no-nonsense elbows from full mount to force Carr to tap out. Toczydlowsk proved that Benny Carr isn’t the only fighter worthy of the “Brutal” nickname.

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.

WSOF 9 Results: Palhares, Moraes, & Okami Win

WSOF 9 Results: Palhares, Moraes, & Okami Win

Lucas Noonan/WSOF

Brazilian submission master Rousimar Palhares (17-6) needed just 69 seconds to take the World Series of Fighting welterweight title away from former champ Steve Carl (21-4).

And it was his signature move - the heel hook - that led "Toquinho" to victory.

The championship fight headlined Saturday's "World Series of Fighting 9: Carl vs. Palhares" event at Las Vegas' Hard Rock Hotel & Casino and aired on NBCSN.

Making his World Series of Fighting debut, Palhares wasted little time in shooting the fight to the floor. From there, he rolled for Carl's leg, and the end was near. Looking first for a kneebar, Palhares then turned to his patented finishing hold, wrenching the inverted heel hook until Carl was forced to tap and hand over the belt.

In the night's co-feature, Marlon Moraes claimed (13-4-1) claimed World Series of Fighting's inaugural bantamweight title with a dominating decision win over a gutsy Josh Rettinghouse (10-3).

Rettinghouse looked to push the pace early, but Moraes' excellent defensive wrestling skills kept him on the feet, and his crisp muay Thai provided all the offense he would need. A sharp counter punch floored Rettinghouse in the first, but he crawled back to his feet and soldiered on. Moraes came forward with thunderous leg kicks that wobbled Rettinghouse early and often and left him nearly immobile for the final few rounds.

A game Rettinghouse pushed forward until the final bell, but in the end, Moraes was simply too much and cruised to a decision win, earning a championship belt in the process.

Fighting for the first time under the World Series of Fighting banner, Japanese middleweight Yushin Okami (30-8) proved he's still one of the world's best fighters, as he dominated Bulgarian opponent Svetlozar Savov (12-5).

Savov simply had no match for Okami's powerful wrestling attack and found himself on his back early and often. Pushing easily to mount in both the first and second rounds, Okami dominated the fight on the floor and eventually set up an arm-triangle choke and cranking the hold until he earned the tap with 14 seconds left in the frame.

Afterward, Okami admitted he had hoped to show off his striking skills but realized the importance of a win.

"My gameplan was to use my striking game, but once we got going, I saw that he had good distance, so I was forced to change my gameplan," Okami said.

In a key welterweight fight, Josh Burkman (27-10) picked up another highlight-reel win with a stunning knockout of Tyler Stinson (27-10).

While Stinson was the vaunted knockout artist, it was Burkman who landed a crushing lead right from a southpaw stance, sending his opponent crashing to the floor. Burkman made sure he had no time to recover, landing a huge follow-up right hand that ended the fight at the 2:15 mark of the first.

"The one thing I didn't want to do was stand in front of him," Burkman said after the win. "I knew he had enough respect for my hands, and if he hurt me, I was going to take it to wrestling."

In the night's first main-card matchup, lightweight Johnny Nunez (5-0) kept his career mark perfect with a hard-fought split-decision win over Ozzy Dugulubgov (5-2).

The aggressive Nunez set the tone early in each round, pushing forward with reckless abandon. Dugulubgov proved a tough foe, defending takedown attempts and answering back with submission attempts of his own.

Ultimately, while Dugulubgov had frequent moments in dominant positions, his inability to capitalize on the advantages cost him, and Nunez was awarded a split-decision win. Afterward, Nunez said he wasn't concerned with anyone claiming controversy in the call.

"I don't care what anybody says," Nunez said. "I'm not worrying about anyone but myself and my team." 

In the night's featured preliminary contest, Mike Corey (13-3-1) looked downright dominant in a second-round submission win over Shane Kruchten (11-3).

The shorter Corey dealt well with Kruchten's reach, leaping in with powerful punches and dropping him in the opening round. In the second, Corey took Kruchten to the floor, peppered him with punches and moved quickly to his back. While Kruchten tried to defend, Corey muscled in a rear-naked choke attempt and squeezed until he earned the tap at the 2:59 mark of the round.

Bryson Hansen (7-1) made an immediate impact in World Series of Fighting's bantamweight division, needing just 46 seconds in his promotional debut to score a TKO win over Sean Cantor (1-1).

Hansen looked for a takedown early in the fight, and while Cantor defended well, he also exposed his chin in the process. Hansen seized the opportunity, unleashing a barrage of left hands that stunned Cantor and forced a quick TKO stoppage.

Featherweight prospect Chris Gruetzemacher (12-1) made his long-awaited World Series of Fighting debut in impressive fashion, thoroughly dominating longtime veteran John Gunderson (34-16-2). Using a grinding wrestling attack, Gruetzemacher had Gunderson on the defense from start to finish, and "Gritz" was awarded a clear-cut decision win.

While his brother, Bryson, would later duplicate the feat, Brenson Hansen (6-2) picked up a victory, downing Boostayre Nefarios (2-2) via decision. Nefarios appeared to hold in the edge in speed and quickness, but Hansen moved constantly forward, firing heavy punches and outworking his opponent en route to the victory.

In an early welterweight matchup, Danny Davis (9-8-1) turned in one of the more impressive efforts of his career, outworking Phil Dace (9-5) over the course of three rounds and scoring a unanimous-decision win.

The night's first fight saw lightweight JimmySpicuzza (3-0) keep his perfect career mark intact with an impressive, first-round submission win over Gil Guardado (2-1).

UFC Berlin Adds Krzysztof Jotko vs Magnus Cedenblad

UFC Berlin Adds Krzysztof Jotko vs Magnus Cedenblad
by Chris Houten - @mrhouts

Polish Middleweight Krzysztof Jotko will put his undefeated record on the line against Swede Magnus Cedenblad at UFC Berlin.

UFC Fight Night 41 takes place May 31 at O2 World Berlin in Germany and features a middleweight bout headliner Gegard Mousasi (34-4-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC) and Mark Munoz (13-4 MMA, 8-4 UFC). The entire card will stream on UFC Fight Pass, and is the second of the series of cards scheduled for Europe.

Following an impressive series of victories for local promotion MMA Attack, Krzysztof Jotko (14-0) signed for the UFC in late 2013, making his debut with an impressive unanimous decision victory over Bruno Santos at Decembers UFC Fight Night 33 in Australia.

One of the most highly regarded prospects in Europe, The 24-year old now trains at Canada's renowned Tristar Gym alongside some of  best fighters in the world including Georges St. Pierre, Rory McDonald, and Francis Carmont, who has a win over Jotko's opponent, Cedenblad. A pro since 2010, Jotko has 6 finishes on record - 4 wins by TKO, 2 wins by submission.

A product of Sweden's Allstar Training Center, which is home to fellow Scandinavian standouts Alexander Gustafsson, and Nico Musoko, Magnus Cedenblad (11-4) fights for the UFC for the third time in his career. 1-1 under the promotion since making his debut for the promotion, 31-year old, Cedenblad was defeated by Francis Carmont in his debut, before bouncing back with an impressive submission victory over Jared Hamman at UFC 164.

A series of injuries has seen Cedenblad only fight once in 2013 pulling out of a fight with Rafal Natal at the start of the year, as well as a bout with Alessio Sakara at UFC Fight Night 30 in Manchester. Cedenblad has taken 10 of 11 victories inside the distance with 6 TKOs and 4 submissions.

Stay tuned to KingdomMMA.co.uk for all the latest on UFC Berlin

One FC signs Brits James McSweeney and and Chi Lewis Parry

One FC signs Brits James McSweeney and and Chi Lewis Parry
by Chris Houten - @mrhouts

 Asia's largest MMA promotion One FC have signed British heavyweights James McSweeney and Chi Lewis Parry to exclusive fight deals.

Best know for his appearance on the Ultimate Fighter season 10 as well as his subsequent Octagon stint where he fought 3 times picking up a win over Darrill Schoonover at the Tuf 10 finale before losing to Travis Browne and Fábio Maldonado, James McSweeney (12-11) joins ONE FC on the back of submission victory over Stefan Traunmuller at Novembers Final Fight Championship 9 in Slovenia.

6-2 in his last 8 fights, the 33-year old has fought for some of the finest promotions in the world including Cage Rage, Ring of Combat, BAMMA, Legacy FC, and the aforementioned UFC, taking 11 of his 12 wins including notable victories over 2007 K-1 World Grand Prix Las Vegas 8 man Champion, Doug Viney and Strikeforce Vet Dion Staring who he defeated by devastation first round knockout.

Undefeated in his mixed martial arts career Chi Lewis Parry (5-0), who is widely considered one of the UKs best Heavyweight prospects is an excellent addition to the ONE FC roster.

A former British Basketball League player, UCMMA K-1 Heavyweight champion Parry, has never been to the judges score cards in his young career with 3 wins coming by TKO and 2 wins by submission. At 2 Metres tall, Parry has the longest reach in the ONE FC heavyweight division.

There is still no word on when Parry will make his ONE FC debut, however ONE FC officials have confirmed McSweeney will take on Chris Lokteff at ONE FC: Rise of Heroes, in Manila, The Philippines on May 2nd.

Stay tuned to kingdomMMA.co.uk for all the latest on ONE FC

Ivan Buchinger released, Warburton vs Ray to headline Cage Warriors 69 for vacant lightweight title

Cage Warriors 69 announced

The Cage Warriors lightweight world title will be at stake when Curt Warburton (13-4) and Stevie Ray (14-5) clash at Cage Warriors 69 at The Forum in London, England, on Saturday, June 7, 2014.

Cage Warriors officials can confirm that previous champion Ivan Buchinger has been released from his contract with the promotion, leaving a vacancy at the summit of the 155lbs division.

The bout will mark the second time that Warburton and Ray will have met, with their previous encounter - which took place in March, 2013 - ending in a unanimous-decision triumph for Warburton.

“I can’t wait to be stepping back into that cage, with the opportunity of walking back out as the new Cage Warriors champion,” said Warburton, a native of Newcastle, England.

Warburton signed to compete exclusively for Cage Warriors Fighting Championship last year and made a successful debut for the promotion at CWFC 62 courtesy of a first-round submission of Wesley Murch.

The 33-year-old has put together a 6-1 record since his departure from the UFC following a defeat to Joe Lauzon in June 2011.

Ray, on the other hand, will be looking to regain the belt he relinquished to Ivan Buchinger after their epic encounter in the main event at CWFC 63 in Dublin last New Year’s Eve.

The 23-year-old Scotsman had been crowned champion back in October after emerging victorious from the four-man CWFC lightweight title tournament thanks to wins over Jason Ball and Sean Carter at CWFC 60.

Ray said: “I’m looking forward to getting back in the win column, avenging my loss to Curt and getting my title back in London where I won it last October.”

Meanwhile, Ivan Buchinger and Cage Warriors Fighting Championship have parted company as a result of the fighter’s refusal to honour the terms of his contract, as explained by Cage Warriors Fighting Championship CEO Graham Boylan.

“Despite having competed for us on six occasions, Ivan claimed that he didn’t understand his contract and decided that he no longer wanted to fight for us under the terms that he had agreed. But it’s company policy not to be held to ransom by any fighter, so we were happy to let him go,” said Boylan.

“We have an incredibly stacked lightweight division, as evidenced by the meeting of Curt Warburton and Stevie Ray for the belt on June 7, so losing one fighter from that division is merely a drop in the ocean. Nevertheless, I thank Ivan for his contribution and wish him the best for his future.”

Tickets for CWFC 69, featuring Curt Warburton versus Stevie Ray for the CWFC lightweight world title, will go on sale shortly.

Danny Roberts vs Jimmy Wallhead to headline Cage Warriors 68 in Liverpool

Welterweight battle announced as main event for Cage Warriors 68

A huge welterweight match-up has been set for the main event at Cage Warriors 68.

Danny Roberts and Jimmy Wallhead will collide in the headliner when Cage Warriors Fighting Championship returns to Liverpool’s Echo Arena on Saturday, May 3, 2014.

Also confirmed for the CWFC 68 bill is a middleweight bout between Che Mills and Leeroy Barnes, in addition to another big welterweight contest between Matt Inman and Mauro Chimento.

But in the evening’s main attraction, Danny Roberts (10-1) will be hoping for his sixth consecutive CWFC victory as he aims to strengthen his claims for a shot at the CWFC welterweight crown, which is up for grabs this weekend at CWFC 66 in Copenhagen.

Roberts, who’ll be fighting in his hometown of Liverpool, has climbed into the top-five in the UK rankings courtesy of impressive wins over Jack Mason, Diego Gonzalez, Henry Fadipe and Juan Manuel Suarez.

With all but two of his wins coming inside the distance, 26-year-old Roberts says fans can expect fireworks when he takes on Wallhead in what will surely be the biggest test of his career to date.

He said:

“Fighting in front of my friends, family and fans in my adopted hometown again for a top organisation is going to be special, and I’m looking forward to welcoming Jimmy Wallhead into one of the toughest welterweight divisions in the world.

“He is a very well-respected fighter and is one of the biggest names in the sport in the UK. This is going to be one that people won’t want to miss.”

Wallhead (25-8), who turned 30 last week, recently signed to fight exclusively for Cage Warriors, having previously competed for the promotion on 15 occasions, more than any other fighter.

A judo black belt and veteran of 25 professional victories, 18 of which have come via stoppage, Wallhead holds notable wins over several fighters with UFC experience, including Igor Araujo, Matt Veach, Che Mills and Frank Trigg.

The Leicester native, who competed for Bellator on three occasions between 2010 and 2012, hasn’t been stopped in his last 20 outings, with his last loss inside the distance coming at the hands of current UFC star Dennis Siver back in 2006.

“I’m really excited to be back on Cage Warriors and I’m especially pleased to be fighting in Liverpool on May 3,” said Wallhead.

“The opponent is irrelevant to me as all fights at this level are tough, but I’m really motivated by the prospect of beating him in his hometown. I expect a war, which is great for the fans and great for me, as I just love fighting.”

Meanwhile, having impressively disposed of Gregor Weibel at CWFC 64 last month, Matt Inman (13-5) will also be keen to stay in the CWFC welterweight title hunt when he goes in search of a fifth straight win, with Brazilian star Mauro Chimento (15-10) providing the opposition as he returns to Cage Warriors after a lengthy lay-off due to illness.

Elsewhere, after both fighters endured a disappointing 2013, Che Mills (15-7-2nc) and Leeroy Barnes (12-13-1nc) will be looking to return to winning ways when they clash in a middleweight bout.

Cage Warriors 68, for which many more bouts are still to be announced, will take place at the Echo Arena in Liverpool, England, on Saturday, May 3, 2014.

Andy De-Vent vs Harry McLeman Meet for Bamma Lonsdale Title

Andy De-Vent vs Harry McLeman Meet for Bamma Lonsdale Title
 by Chris Houten - @mrhouts

Bamma officials have today confirmed Andy 'Lion Paw" De-Vent and Harry 'Mad Mac' McLeman will square off at Bamma 15 for the Lonsdale British Middleweight Title.

Bamma 15 takes place April 5th at the historic Copper Box Arena in London, a multi-sport venue which was famously used for the Summer Olympics in 2012 is a headlined by a heavyweight show down between Oli Thompson and Gzim Selmani.

Andy De-Vent (10-8) enter the bout on the back of an impressive 4 fight win streak to earn the Lions Paw MMA fighter an exclusive 4 fight deal with Bamma. Undefeated as a Middleweight (7-0), Manchester born De-Vent most recently defeated former Bamma Middleweight contender Andrew Pushton by 1st round TKO at Made 4 the Cage 13 in February to earn the Made 4 the Cage Pro British Middleweight Title. Hailing from a Thai Boxing background, De-Vent has finished 8 of his 10 victories, with 4 by TKO and 4 by submission.

Fighting out of MacMillian Martial Arts Academy, Harry McLeman (6-2) fights for Bamma for the 4th time having made his debut as a late replacement against Scott Askham at Bamma 12, where he was defeated by Rear Naked Choke for the first loss of his professional career. Following the loss the to Askham, McLeman won one and lost one on the local scene, before returning at Bamma 13, picking up a submission victory over Rough House member Matt Hallam. McLeman then defeating Matt Howard at Bamma 14. Signed to Bamma on an exclusive deal, Plymouth born McLeman comes from an army boxing background and is competitive on the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu circuit. 

Stay tuned to KingdomMMA.co.uk for all the latest on Bamma 15.
 

Tommy Maguire Injured, Damir Hadzovic now Meets John Maguire at CW 66

Tommy Maguire Injured, Damir Hadzovic now Meets John Maguire at CW 66
by Chris Houten - @mrhouts

Photo: Dolly Clew | Cage Warriors

As one Maguire pulls out, another Maguire steps in.

An injury has forced Tommy Maguire to pull out of his Cage Warriors 66 bout with Damir Hadzovic in Denmark. Hadzovic will now face Tommy's older brother John who steps in as a last minute replacement.

Cage Warriors 66 takes place on March 22nd at the Ballerup Super Arena in Copenhagen, Demark, and is is headlined by Sergei Churilov vs. Nicolas Dalby, who meet for the vacant welterweight title. The card will serve as Cage Warriors first event in Scandinavia with 2 further events proposed for 2014.

Five time UFC vet John Maguire fights for Cage Warriors for 3 time since being released for the UFC, where he went 2-3.

Following a successful Cage Warriors debut at Cage Warriors 63 in Dublin where he defeated a game Philip Mulpeter by unanimous decision on New Years Eve, Maguire returned to Dublin most recent for Cage Warriors 65, March 1st, where he was upset by rising prospect Saul Rogers.

A pro since 2006, 30-year old Maguire has been stopped just once in his 26 professional bouts, with 13 of his career victories coming inside the distance.

Speaking ahead of the bout, Maguire said:

“I’m a fighter and, as a fighter, I’m always ready to step in, accept a challenge and compete.”

A pro since 2010, Maguire's opponent Damir Hadzovic makes his Cage Warriors debut on the back of a 7-2 professional record.

Born in Gorazde, Bosnia but fighting out of Fightcenter Esbjerg, Denmark, Hadzovic has taken all but one of his victories inside the distance, with the 27-year olds, two career losses coming at the hands of current undefeated UFC pair Krzysztof Jotko and Andreas Stahl.

MAIN CARD
Sergei Churilov vs. Nicolas Dalby - For the Vacant Cage Warriors Welterweight Title
Mohsen Bahari vs. Bruno Carvalho
Damir Hadzovic vs. John Maguire
Martin Akhtar vs. Toni Tauru
Jack Hermansson vs. Enoc Solves Torres
Robbie Olivier vs. Martin Svensson

PRELIMINARY CARD
Jussi Halonen vs. Frodi Vitalis Hansen
Håkon Foss vs. Per Franklin
Emma Delaney vs. Lina Akhtar Lansberg
Rioo Ibrahim vs. Alexander Jacobsen
Binh Son Le vs. Shamal Tashkilot
Haci Firat Dogan vs. Mathias Lodahl

Jack Grant Replaces Injured Dyson Roberts, Faces Jefferson George at Bamma 15

Jack Grant Replaces Injured Dyson Roberts, Faces Jefferson George at Bamma 15
by Chris Houten - @mrhouts  

Lightweights Jack Grant and Jefferson George are set to do battle at Bamma 15. Grant steps in for injured Dyson Roberts who was originally scheduled to face George at this event.

Bamma 15 takes place April 5th at the historic Copper Box Arena in London, a multi-sport venue which was famously used for the Summer Olympics in 2012 is a headlined by a heavyweight show down between Oli Thompson and Gzim Selmani. Grant vs George is will take part on the Bamma 15 preliminary card.

Fighting out of the Fight Ministry in Grimsby, Grant enters the bout on the back of a second round rear naked choke victory over Abi El Kalphi at OMMAC 20 to remain undefeated in his professional  career. A pr since 2012, the bout with El Kalphi makes the first time the 22-year old has been past the first round have previously stopped all his opponent by either submission or TKO , including UK boxing & MMA vet Jason ball who Grant need just 38 seconds to knock out, in the first.

A product of Morefire Icon Jiu Jitsu in Luton, Jefferson George fights under the Bamma banner for the second time in his young career, having fought on the undercard of Bamma 13 defeating Marius Marzec by Rear Naked Choke, and Bamma 14 where a cut above the eye of George caused a frustrating early doctor's stoppage is his bout with Tim Wilde. Renowned for his Thai-boxing, BJJ and powerful athleticism, George who goes by the nickname 'Shadow Demon Blaximus' is 3-2 in his professional career with all 3 victories coming by way of submission.

 Stay tuned to KingdomMMA.co.uk for all the latest on Bamma 15