Who Should the Brits Face Following UFC London

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

UFC London Results: Gustafsson Declares 'I Want Title Shot' After Impressive Victory over Jimi Manuwa

UFC London Results: Gustafsson Declares 'I Want Title Shot' After Impressive Victory over Jimi Manuwa
by Chris Houten - @mrhouts

UFC.com

Alexander Gustafsson took to the mic after an impressive second round TKO victory over Jimi Manuawa in the main event at UFC Fight Night 37 to tell Jon Jones "I want my title shot again."

Manuwa started quickly with a nice jab and a solid kick to the legs of Gustafsson. Gustafsson responded with a descent jab of his own before taking the fight to the ground where he gained top controlled and immediately attacked the right arm of Manuwa. Manuwa defended well and was able push Gustafsson up to create space to get back to his feet with a minute remaining however he was unable to capitalise before the round ended.

Manuwa came out quickly again in round 2 but was caught with an eye poke in the opening stages of the bout which halted play to allow Manuwa time to recover. On the restart it was Gustafsson turn to come out quickly immediate pushing Manuwa against the cage where he landed a well placed knee to wobble his British foe. Gustafsson followed the knee up with a series of precise strike to the head of Manuwa which cause the previously defeat fighter to drop to the floor. Gustafsson follow Manuwa to the ground with more strikes which left referee Marc Goddard with little choice but to step in and rescue Manuwa at the 1:18 mark.

Speaking after the fight Gustafsson said:

“The support of the fans here tonight was awesome, especially the ones that travelled from Sweden.  Jimi Manuwa is a tough, powerful fighter so my strategy was to try and wear him down a bit and drain that power.  I got grazed a couple of times and you could definitely feel how hard he can throw.  I want Jon Jones next, I cant wait to have another chance at him.” 

Gustafsson is now 7-1 in his last 8 fight, while Manuwa loses for the first time in his career.

UFC London Results: Michael Johnson Earns Decision Over Melvin Gulliard

UFC London Results: Michael Johnson Earns Decision Over Melvin Guillard
by Chris Houten - @mrhouts

UFC.com

Michael Johnson earned a unanimous decision victory over former Blackzilian team-mate Melvin Gulliard on Saturday, in a bout that left fans who expected a firefight disappointed.

The lightweight bout was the UFC Fight Night 37 co-main event at O2 Arena in London. It streamed on UFC Fight Pass, BT Sports, and Channel 5 in The UK.

The opening round started fast with Guillard landed a big knee on Johnson but slowed from there with little action over the next minute until Guillard was hit with a low blow. When the round continued Johnson caught Guillard with a nice combo with Guillard offering little in terms of offense. As the boo's from the crowed started to ring out, Johnson who was controlling to octagon at this point and was the only man offering little action, began to taunt Guillard in attempt to bring him into the fight. The round ended with Johnson attempting a takedown only to be caught with a big right hand from Guillard.

Round 2 began with Johnson starting where he left off, pushing the action and controlling the octagon. At this stage the pace of the fight was starting to slow, and the fans in attendance again showed their displeasure with how the fight was progressing. Both men traded wild combos but again Guillard was showing unwillingness to trade. Johnson unleashed an excellent flurry towards the end of the round, catching Guillard with some hard punches and a big knee causing him to wobble.

The third round was all Johnson with the Blackzilian again pushing the pace with an early takedown. Guillard got back to his feet and missed with a big spinning back kick. Johnson returned with a solid punch and a follow up knee. Guillard signaled for an eye poke but the referee never stopped the action, allowing Johnson to catch Guillard with elbows against the cage to secure unanimous decision victory - 30-27 x2, and 29-28.

After the fight, Johnson, who has now won three straight bouts against top-tier opponents, expressed his disappointment with the bout, but said he is ready for a top 10 opponent: 

"I came to fight so tonight was obviously very frustrating. I don’t know if he was scared or what. The fans had a right to boo, I would’ve booed too. Im not happy at all but a win is a win. I want a top guy next, maybe a Nate Diaz, Josh Thomson or the winner of the Cowboy Cerrone fight.”

UFC London: Brad Pickett Earns a Hard Fought Decision Over a Game Neil Seery

UFC London: Brad Pickett Earns a Hard Fought Decision Over a Game Neil Seery
by Chris Houten - @mhouts

UFC.com

Brad Pickett's flyweight debut was a successful one, defeating game Irishman Neil Seery by unanimous decision on the main card of today's UFC Fight Night 37 event at O2 Arena in London.

In the opening round Seery came out showing little signs on intimidation, despite the fact he was fighting in front of 15,000 fans at the O2 who were mainly supporting Pickett. Seery was happy to stay in the pocket and trade with Pickett catching the Englishman with some solid strikes. Pickett countered by mixing in low kicks before ducking under a Seery hook to secure a takedown. Pickett work Seery on top - where it was clear to see he had the advantage, nearly ending the fight with an arm triangle attempt.

Round 2 opened with both men going toe-to-toe again. Pickett was the aggressor coming forward but Seery was happy to trade with his English opponent and in many instances he was getting the better of Pickett on the feet, beating Pickett to the punch. As in round one, Pickett again went for the takedown where he landed some descent ground and pound from inside Seery guard to finish the round.

Down on the judges score card going into the 3rd, Seery came out swinging, again beating Pickett to the punch with a number of sharp blows, to force Pickett to take the fight to the ground again, where he was able to gain a dominate position. Seery was able to get to his fight with 90 second to go, and starting firing all out hoping for the knock out, which left Seery open for another takedown which Pickett duly took. Pickett secured top position again, where to fight finish.

After the bout Pickett said:

“Im a little disappointed to not get a stoppage there especially in front of my hometown fans. Neil just kind of hung on and never allowed to me do anything. It was good to get some rounds at this weight class however. My gas tank felt superb and the weight cut was no problem. "

Having hoped for a shot at current UFC Flyweight Champion Demetrious Johnson, who Pickett has already beaten early in his career, with an impressive victory over Seery, it's likely Pickett will need to fight again now, and a previously scheduled match with Ian McCall may now be on the cards again. 

UFC London Results: Gunnar Nelson Dominates Omari Akhmedov

UFC London Results: Gunnar Nelson Dominates Omari Akhmedov
by Chris Houten - @mrhouts

ufc.com

Gunnar Nelson staked a claim as one of the best prospects in The UFCs Welterweight division with a dominate victory over Omari Akhmedov to kick off the main  card of UFC Fight Night 37.

The bout opened slow, with both men looking to feel each other out. Akhmedov who looked no where near as aggressive as he did in his UFC debut again Thiago Perpetuo at UFC Fight Night 32 backpedaled as Nelson slowly advanced, throwing a few shots but nothing which trouble Nelson. With Nelson first attack he caught Akhmedov with straight left to send the Dagestani fighter to the mat, where Nelson quickly took the mount.

From mount Nelson opened up on Akhmedov cutting the fighter who hard elbows. As Akhmedov tried to work his way back up, he pushed Nelson which allowed Nelson the snapped on to a beautiful guillotine choke which left Akhmedov with little choice but to tap or go to sleep.

Speaking after the bout Nelson said;

"I took a few minutes to feel out his movements and then when I got him on the ground I tried to soften him up.  Eventually I was able to get a good choke on him and end things.  I knew I had to be accurate as he is a very powerful puncher.  I also really felt one of his kicks early on despite being able to check it.  Im not going to call out anyone in the division because I'll fight anyone.  I look forward to getting back out there soon though."

It was a third straight UFC win for Nelson (12-0-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC), who remains undefeated in 12 pro bouts. During the post fight press conference, Nelson expressed a desire to get back to work quick, stating he would be interested in fight in the UFC Dublin card in July.

UFC London Results: Cyrille Diabate Loses Retirement Bout to Ilir Latifi

UFC London Results: Cyrille Diabate Loses Retirement Bout to Ilir Latifi
by Chris Houten - @mrhouts

ufc.com

Ilir Latifi made relatively easy work of Cyrille Diatate, submitting the 6'6" light-heavyweight in the opening around to end the Frenchmans career.

Latifi who joined the UFC last year as a replacement for injured teammate Alexander Gustaffson to take on Gegard Mousasi on a weeks notice, faired much better this time out with a full camp under his belt.

The opening round started with a rangy Diabate kept his distance early however it wasn't long before Latifi shot in for a takedown where he quickly locked in a D’Arce choke which be released in exchange for a dominate position.

Latifi remained patient on the ground going back to a front choke shortly after, which this time he locked in to finish the fight at the 3:02 mark of the first round following several attempts to escape from Diabate.

“I prepared a lot for this fight, and it feels great to get a win that fast,” Latifi said. “Cyrille posed many challenges – he’s got dangerous striking and a huge reach, which can pose problems.

“It’s amazing to think 10 or 15 years ago I was watching the original UFC events, and now I’m fighting and winning in them. This is one of the best moments of my life.”

With the win, Latifi extends his record to 8-3 MMA, 1-1 UFC and will be hoping he can build on his first UFC victory next time he fights.

Diabate, who announced early this week he would be retiring win or lose said:

“I’m a striker and I didn’t pull the trigger,” Diabate said. “Obviously I’m disappointed, but now I walk away from the sport. I want to thank my fans and the guys who have helped me train over the years. I will focus on teaching now.”

UFC London Results: Luke Barnatt Defeats Mats Nilsson in Barn Burner

UFC London Results: Luke Barnatt Defeats Mats Nilsson in Barn Burner
by Chris Houten - @mrhouts 

UFC.com

Luke Barnatt made a statement on Saturday night defeating Swedish Middleweight Mats Nilsson by impressive TKO in a 1 round barn burner on the prelims on UFC Fight Night 37.

Barnatt started the bout with a crisp left jab which he connected with often to keep the the Swedish Grappler on the outside. The jab was money for Barnatt as he repeatedly caught Nilsson over and over with it. As the opening minutes wore on TUF 17 Barnatt caught Nilsson with an uppercut which left the Swede with visible damage.

Midway through the round, Nilsson charged and caught Barnatt with several heavy overhand punches, which to Barnatts credit looked like they may have hurt him but he took them well. As the Swedish contingency in attendance begin to flair up, Barnatt fired back with a sneaky superman punch and left head kick to leave Nilsson wobbled against the cage.

Barnatt unleashed a barrage of punches, before dropping Nilsson with a well placed knee forcing the referee to step and and stop the fight; the first stoppage loss of Nilssons career.

Speaking after the bout, Barnatt said if the stoppage:

“I felt a bit cold in the start but when he hit me with a right I woke up. It feels very good to be the first one to ever finish him.”

Barnatt who looks a promise prospect for British fight fans extends his UFC record to 3-0 and his overall record to 8-0.

UFC London Results: Araujo Defeats Danny Mitchell in 3 Round Chess Match

UFC London Results: Araujo Defeats Danny Mitchell in 3 Round Chess Match
by Chris Houten - @mrhouts 

Chants of 'Cheesecake' echoing all over a sold out O2 Arena weren't enough to encourage Danny Mitchell to victory, as Igor Araujo put his BJJ Blackbelt to good use to earn a unanimous decision victory over his British opponent.

Fighting on the preliminary card of UFC Fight Night 37, TUF 16s Araujo opened the bout with a headkick which was merely a distraction to shoot in for the takedown. 

From there the match played out like a game of chance with both man attempting various submissions, notably a hoe hold for Mitchell in the first, and a triangle for Araujo which looked pretty deep. In the end though Araujo had just that little extra to earn a unanimous decision victory 30-27.

Araujo who extends his win streak to 6 overall and 2 in the UFC expressed his  pleasure over defeating Mitchell:

"I am so happy I won.  Danny Mitchell is a tough, tough guy and I knew I had to be prepared.  In all honesty, I broke my leg 20 days ago, a small fracture, and I told know one.  All I did was continue to train and my heart showed tonight.  This was a big win for my career."

Araujo extends his record to 25-6 in MMA, while MItchell moves to 14-5 in his career.

UFC London Results: Louis Gaudinot Submits Phil Harris

UFC London Results: Louis Gaudinot Submits Phil Harris in the First
by Chris Houten - @mrhouts

ufc.com

It took Louis Gaudinot just 73 seconds to submit UK veterans Phil Harris in the opening bout at UFC Fight Night 37.

Both men came out quickly looking to strike before Harris pushed the action towards the fence in search on a takedown. Gaudinot a member of Team Bisping on TUF 14 was able to defend the take down and lock in a standing guillotine. Gaudinot pulled guard on Harris with the chock locked in. Gaudinot rolled to a top position and that was all it too to force Harris to take out.

After the bout Gaudinot said:

"I always look to finish and I immediately saw an opening and went for the choke.  My camp and I knew that he didn't want anything to do with a standup war and he tried to take me down but I was prepared.  That was a performance I knew I was capable of."

Fighting on enemy tough Gaudinot was boo'd on the way but cheered on the way out as he extended his record to 7-3 MMA and 2-2 in the UFC overall.

Harris however is now 1-3 in The UFC and on a 2 fight losing streak. The former Cage Warriors fight could  now find himself out of a job follow his loss to Gaudinot.

"I left my neck open and paid the price obviously." Said Harris.

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

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

Welcome to another Kingdom MMA fighter vs writer challenge.

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

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

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

The Predictions

Alexander Gustafsson vs Jimi Manuwa

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

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

Prediction:  Alexander Gustafsson - Submission Round 3

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

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

Prediction: Alexander Gustafsson - TKO (punches) Round 4

Melvin Guillard vs Michael Johnson

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

Prediction: Melvin Guillard - KO Round 2

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

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

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

Brad Pickett vs Neil Seery

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

Prediction: Neil Seery - TKO Round 2

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

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

Prediction: Brad Pickett - TKO (punches) Round 2

Gunnar Nelson vs Omari Akhmedov

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

Prediction: Gunnar Nelson - Submission Round 2

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

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

Prediction: Omari Akhmedov - KO (punch) Round 3

Cyrille Diabate vs Ilir Latifi

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

Prediction: Ilir Latifi - Decision

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

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

Luke Barnatt vs Mats Nilsson

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

Prediction: Luke Barnatt - KO Round 2

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

Prediction: Luke Barnatt - TKO (punches) Round 2

Brad Scott vs Claudio Henrique da Silva

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

Prediction: Brad Scott - Decision

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

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

Davey Grant vs Roland Delorme

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

Prediction: Davey Grant - TKO Round 3

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

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

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

Igor Araujo vs Danny Mitchell

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

Prediction: Danny Mitchell - Submission Round 2

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

Prediction: Igor Araujo - Submission Round 3

Phil Harris vs Louis Gaudinot

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

Prediction: Harris - Decision

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

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

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

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

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

UFC London: Gustafsson vs Manuwa - UK Betting Odds

UFC London: Gustafsson vs Manuwa - UK Betting Odds

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

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

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

UFC Fight Night London Predictions

Kingdom MMA predictions for UFC Fight Night London

by Ben Heather @benheather, Tommy Strong @Strong_tea and Jack Broadey @J3cK_b

This week we will be predicting the fights for UFC Fight Night 38, as the UFC returns to London for its first EMEA show of 2014. For this event we will give a write up for the main card fights card and then we will be picking our winners for the rest of the card. Let us know if you agree with our picks.

Gustafsson vs Manuwa

Jack: Although Gus can handle himself on the feet he has a massive advantage on the ground here. Manuwa is a poor grappler and Gus is excellent. I expect this to go to the ground early and for the frustrations of the Jon Jones loss to be taken out on Manuwa. I don't think this fight will see past he halfway point of round 1.

Prediction: Gustafsson by Submission Round 1

Ben: I was shocked when this fight was announced, I thought Gustafsson should have been matched up with another top ranked fighter such as Phil Davis with Jimi on the main card against a top 10 guy.... just not the number 2 guy.

That being said, Alex has everything to lose in this fight. Jimi will be going in to this fight as a big underdog and it may be the first time that has happened in his career. I would love to see the upset, however we have never seen Jimi tested and he will be on Saturday night. I can't see it happening but I would love it for Jimi and UK MMA as well.

Prediction: Gustafsson by Submission Round 4

Tommy: I still can't figure out why and how Jimi has got this fight except for selling tickets! Jimi hasn't fought anyone on the level of Alexander Gustafsson before, this is a huge step up for him and one I think he's really going to struggle with. With so much on the line for Gustafsson he really has everything to lose and nothing to gain by beating Jimi. Its Manuwa that could be in touching distance of a title fight if he was to pull of a huge upset here.

I expect Gustafsson to play it safe here against a dangerous striker and keep the fight either at length or force Jimi onto the ground for much of the fight.

Prediction: Gustafsson by TKO Round 2.

Johnson vs Guillard

Tommy: With Ross Pearson having to pull out due to an injury, this is a very good replacement in Johnson. Both fighters can blow hot or cold on any given night, so lets hope its piping hot as we could be in for real treat here. With Guillard's knockout power and Johnson's ground game this is a coin toss to predict, I'm still not sure who to pick in this, if I was a betting man I would leave this fight well alone.

Prediction: Johnson by Unanimous Decision

Jack: This fight is as close to a pick em as you'll see. Both extraordinarily talented fighters and both frustratingly inconsistent. If we are to assume both guys turn up on point(which history tells us they won't) then I like Johnson. Tibau and Lauzon are tough tough guys and he handled both with ease. Guillard has lost every significant fight he's been in over the last couple of years only winning 2 of the past 7.

Prediction: Johnson by KO Round 2

Ben: Johnson is on a tear, he has to be in the best form of his career. First he picked apart Joe Lauzon in a fight not many people gave him a chance, then he knocked out Tibau and I think he will do the same this weekend against Guillard. That being said, Guillard has proved that he can finish anyone on a good night but his form is not consistent. I see Johnson keeping his run going and next time out facing off against a top 10 ranked fighter.

Prediction: Johnson by TKO Round 2

Pickett vs Seery

Tommy: Pickett making his flyweight debut was something I was really looking forward to. Though with the withdrawal of Ian McCall I feel a little let down now. A win against a top ranked McCall would really of put Pickett into the top 5 of the flyweight division. The UFC have done a good job in finding a late replacement in Seery but the fight lacks a little something for me.

I think Pickett's experience in the octagon and Seery making his UFC debut this could be a lop sided fight!

Prediction: Pickett by TKO Round 1

Ben: I feel for Pickett in this fight, when I spoke to him just before Christmas he mentioned challenges and pushing towards a title shot. I feel a big win against McCall could have been enough to give him a shot against Mighty Mouse and his case is helped by the fact that he is one of only two men to beat him. However, now he is set to fight Neil Seery there isn't much to gain here for Pickett. It's now a fight that he is expected to win and by winning doesn't get much reward for doing so. He certainly won't be facing the champ next time out.

As for the fight itself I can't see anything else other than a Pickett stoppage victory, I can't decide whether that will be a knockout or submission but it won't be a good night for Seery.

Prediction: Pickett by TKO Round 2

Jack: Styles may clash here, late notice for Seery who no doubt is in shape but wasn't preparing to face Pickett. Pickett was preparing for a different style all together but class should show here.

Prediction: Pickett by Unanimous Decision

Nelson vs Akhmedov

Jack: My sleeper for fight of the night. Really looking forward to this one as soon as it was announced. Akhmedov's debut lasted about 3.5 minutes and he managed to win fight of the night and come from behind to win by KO. The fight despite being so short had everything and it really showed off all the Russians skill set. Nelson has not fought since the last time the Octagon landed in London back in February of 2013. No real explanation of the extended break and that would be of concern for me. Once a real hot prospect in the sport it's difficult to pick him here though.

Prediction: Akhmedov by Decision

Tommy: It will be good to see Gunnar Nelson back inside the octagon after a year out since he last fought in London 2013. Though this could be a real tough test for Nelson. Akhmedov unbeaten in 11 fights, won fight of the night honours in his debut against Thiago Perpetuo in November. Both fighters are very well rounded here with Gunnar having the slight edge on the ground, though if Akmedov can keep it standing he has a very good chance here.

I've made the mistake to many times backing against Russian fighters in the UFC so this time I'm going for the upset here.

Prediction: Akhmedov by TKO Round 2

Ben: Unlike the others I see Gunnar Nelson returning to the Octagon and picking up where he left off last year in London. Yes Akhmedov could be his toughest opponent to date but I feel it will be a submission victory which will come and Nelson will not let it go until he gets the W.

Prediction: Nelson by Submission Round 2.

Predictions for the remainder of the Card

Diabate vs Latifi

Jack: Diabate         Ben: Diabate     Tommy: Diabate

Barnatt vs Nilsson

Jack: Barnatt         Ben: Barnatt       Tommy: Barnatt

Scott vs da Silva

Jack: Scott            Ben: Scott          Tommy: Scott

Grant vs Delorme

Jack: Grant           Ben: Delorme     Tommy: Delorme

Araujo vs Mitchell

Jack: Araujo         Ben: Mitchell      Tommy: Araujo

Harris vs Gaudinot

Jack: Gaudinot      Ben: Gaudinot    Tommy: Gaudinot

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.

UFC London to Air Live on Channel 5

UFC London to Air Live on Channel 5

The Ultimate Fighting Championship^®  (UFC^®), the world’s premier mixed martial arts organisation, has announced an agreement to broadcast its inaugural EMEA FIGHT NIGHT, from the O2 Arena in London, on Channel 5. The agreement is in part due to the incredible demand for UFC programming in the UK and will be the first time a UFC event will be broadcast live to a terrestrial audience in the region.

Live broadcast of the UFC FIGHT NIGHT LONDON: GUSTAFSSON vs. MANUWA main card on 8^th March will begin at 9 p.m. and will be followed by highlights of the rest of the card until 11 p.m.

The popularity of the UFC is soaring throughout Europe, with the event at the O2 Arena selling out in a matter of hours. Last year three events were held throughout Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), with that number doubling to six in 2014, starting with London and then Abu Dhabi on 11^th April.

UFC programming is broadcast in over 145 countries, to nearly 800 million TV households worldwide, in 28 different languages.

Garry Cook, Executive Vice President and Managing Director of UFC EMEA, said: “This gives the entire British public the opportunity to watch UFC programming live on free to air TV and we are very excited to be working with Channel 5 to provide this experience.

“The UFC are incredibly proud of the EMEA FIGHT NIGHTS that will we will be hosting throughout 2014, showcasing some of our incredible talent at Saturday primetime, across the regions to millions of existing and new fans.” 

Channel 5 Commissioning Editor Factual, Simon Raikes said: “UFC is the best of mixed martial arts, ideal to complement our existing fighting stable. We’re genuinely excited to welcome such a riveting sport to Channel 5.”

For more information about UFC, its events and programming, please visit http://uk.ufc.com

Dan "The Outlaw" Hardy Joins UFC FIGHT PASS

Dan "The Outlaw" Hardy to begin new role within the UFC

Former UFC title challenger Dan Hardy to serve as colour commentator for six exclusive live events. Hardy will join John Gooden and Andy Friedlander in all new broadcast team.

Dan “The Outlaw” Hardy - the popular and charismatic former UFC welterweight title contender - will serve as the color commentator for six UFC Fight Night events to be screened exclusively on UFC FIGHT PASS, the UFC announced on Friday.

Known for his punching power, punk rock Mohawk hairstyle and quick wit, Hardy remains the only British fighter to ever challenge for a UFC title, losing in a memorably courageous performance to Georges St-Pierre at UFC 111 in March 2010.

Hardy has a MMA record of 25-10, 1NC, but is currently off the active roster having been diagnosed with a rare heart condition a year ago. Although Hardy, still only 31, continues to train in MMA he is fully focused on his new position within the UFC.

Hardy’s first assignment at Octagonside will come on March 8, when he will be calling the action at the same O2 Arena in London where he twice competed as a UFC welterweight contender.

The Briton said:

“I’m very excited to be putting on the headset for the UFC. I’ve got the same nerves and butterflies that I had when I first signed for the company as a fighter back in 2008. I think I can bring a great perspective to the color commentator’s role. Researching and breaking down UFC fighters and fights is what I’ve been doing for over 10 years now, only now I am not just concentrating on my own division, but every division. I think I bring a different perspective to the role. Not only have I fought and trained with some of the best fighters in the world, I think I’ve had one of the most varied careers in the history of the UFC.

“If we only look at my 6-4 record in the UFC, I’ve done it all. I’ve knocked people out and I’ve been knocked out. I’ve headlined huge Pay-Per-Views and I’ve fought on the prelims. I’ve fought guys I liked and respected, and I’ve fought in grudge matches. I’ve been in every high-pressure situation a fighter can find himself in, from challenging a pound-for-pound champion like Georges St-Pierre, to fighting in my hometown with all my family and friends in the front row, to fighting to stay in the UFC when I was 0-4 a couple of years ago.

“I’ve packed a lot of experience into my 10 fights in the UFC, and I’m looking forward to sharing that experience and insight with the fans.”

 UFC Chief Content Officer Marshall Zelaznik added:

“Dan is extremely popular among our fans, and we are very excited that he will be bringing his wealth of experience to six of the upcoming 2014 UFC FIGHT PASS Fight Nights.

“I’d like to add that, as popular as Dan is, he auditioned for the position. And he blew us away with his audition and got the job because he is the best candidate. He has a unique perspective and style of delivery which I know UFC FIGHT PASS subscribers will enjoy.”

Hardy will be part of an all-British announcing team for the six exclusive UFC FIGHT PASS events which will emanate from the British Isles, mainland Europe and the Middle East.

Sitting next to the Outlaw at Octagonside will be veteran mixed martial arts play-by-play broadcaster John Gooden, while the vastly experienced emcee Andy Friedlander will be introducing fighters from inside the Octagon, serving as the Octagon announcer.

Gooden has earned his reputation on the European mixed martial arts circuit as an insightful play-by-play man and television pundit. Hailing from Greater London, he has competed at a national level in both judo and karate and trained for the last decade in Muay Thai and Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Gooden will now call mixed martial arts events exclusively for the UFC.

Friedlander brings a wealth of experience to his role as the voice of the Octagon. He has served as the major event emcee at the famed 90,000 seater Wembley Stadium in London for over a decade, hosting over 100 globally televised football matches including two UEFA Champions League finals. He has served in a similar position at Twickenham Stadium - the home of English Rugby Union - and has also become a fixture at major boxing events across the UK. Like his new colleagues, Friedlander is a passionate MMA fan and student of the sport. He currently trains under former UFC veteran Jess Liaudin.

March is a huge month for UFC FIGHT PASS subscribers. On March 1, UFC FIGHT PASS will be the only place to see UFC Fight Night Macau, headlined by a welterweight battle between “Stun Gun” Kim and John Hathaway. Then comes the stacked March 8 London card headlined by No.1 ranked light heavyweight Alexander Gustafsson taking on unbeaten British banger Jimi “Posterboy” Manuwa and, on March 9, subscribers will witness the hotly-anticipated season premiere of The Ultimate Fighter Brasil: Team Wanderlei vs Team Sonnen.

UFC Fight Pass is now available in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Norway, Sweden and Denmark. It will be rolled out in additional markets throughout 2014, continue to check UFC.TV for updates. Content will vary country to country according to local television blackout rules.

All bouts live and subject to change. Visit UFC.com and UFCFightPass.com or more information.

Stars of UFC London predict who will win at UFC 170

Phil Harris, Danny Mitchell and Brad Scott predict UFC 170

by Ben Heather @benheather

Normally before all the UFC events we put out our own predictions picking who we think will win and our reasoning for why. This week we thought we would try and mix it up and instead of giving you our picks we have instead asked some of the best UK fighters, who will all be showcasing their skills in the Octagon in a little over 2 weeks at UFC Fight Night 38 in London.

The fighters who will be predicting the fights for this event are:

Phil Harris (1-2 UFC 22-11-1 MMA)

The english flyweight who meets Louis Gaudinot in London. That fight will kick off the show in London and is sure to be a great battle between two tough flyweights. Phil will be looking to return to London in the UFC and get his hand raised again as he did in February '13 when he defeated Ulysses Gomez.

Danny Mitchell (14-4-1 MMA)

The Cheescake Assassin will make his UFC debut next month against Igor Araujo. Mitchell has a very good record and is a welcome addition to the UFC roster. Mitchell has faced a lot of top opppnents including Dean Amasinger, Gunnar Nelson and also fought to a draw against former Cage Warriors Welterweight champion Cathal Pendred.

Brad Scott (1-1 UFC 9-2 MMA)

First became a familiar name to UFC fans when he was part of Team UK on TUF: The Smashes where he made it all the way to the final of the welterweight bracket. He would lose that fight against Robert Whittaker but then moved up to middleweight. He made his UFC middleweight debut against Michael Kuiper in Manchester finishing him in the first round and will return to action again in London.

So lets get down to business, below you will find the predictions for the fighters.

Ronda Rousey vs Sara McMann

Harris: Rousey by Decision

Mitchell: Rousey by Submission Round 1

Scott: McMann by Decision

Daniel Cormier vs Pat Cummins

Harris: Cormier by TKO Round 1

Mitchell: Cormier by Decision

Scott: Cormier by KO

Rory MacDonald vs Demian Maia 

Harris: MacDonald by Decision

Mitchell: Macdonald by TKO Round 2

Scott: MacDonald by Decision

Mike Pyle vs TJ Waldburger

Harris: Waldburger by Decision

Mitchell: Pyle by TKO Round 1

Scott: Pyle by Decision

Robert Whittaker vs Stephen Thompson

Harris: Whittaker by TKO Round 2/3

Mitchell: Whittaker by Decision

Scott: Whittaker by TKO Round 2/3

There you have it, we would like to thank all the fighters for picking who they think will win and we will see on Saturday night who comes out with the most correct results.

Brad Scott talks to Kingdom MMA before his fight at UFC London

Kingdom MMA catch up with Bradley Scott during his fight camp in Arizona

by Ben Heather @benheather

Bradley "Bear" Scott returns to action in the Octagon on March 8th as the UFC returns to London, ahead of that fight Brad took some time out of his busy schedule to talk to Kingdom MMA from Arizona where he is preparing for his fight at The MMA Lab. Brad is set to face Brazilian fighter Claudio Henrique da Silva that night. Today we caught up with Brad to discuss what he has been doing since his last fight, the performances of his team mates from The Lab recently and many more subjects.

Ben: At UFC on Fox 10 two of your MMA Lab team mates, Benson Henderson and John Moraga were in action in close fights. How did you score the fights?
Brad: In both cases people have been disputing the outcome but I think Benson won personally. Look at the fightmetric stats as well, I know that doesn't always show clearly the fight but personally I think Benson won 3 of the 5 rounds. People whinge that he only wins split decisions but I don't give a shit. He is fighting the best guys in the world, its going to be a close fight. Benson is a beast, I spar with him at The MMA Lab and he goes harder there than he does in his fights as well.

As for John Moraga, it makes me mad. John did a lot more damage, John even dropped the guy. Personally I believe that in a fight you're trying to do damage if you think about it. I know we all train MMA as a sport but at the end of the day you're trying to do damage and I don't like the idea that John was doing all the damage and all that guy did was simply hold him down. He didn't do anything, he didn't go for any submissions, no ground and pound, all he did was lay on him and cuddle him and that is not how you do damage. John left without a scratch on him, the other guy got dropped and John clearly won the fight in my eyes. John Moraga is a scary dude.

Ben: At UFC 169 we also saw another fighter from The MMA Lab Andy Enz, who has been one of your sparring partners during this camp. What did you make to his performance?
Brad: He is tough as fuck, and he doesn't give a fuck who you are either, He just stood toe to toe with a dangerous striker and he just kept going. He improved so much in his time at The Lab and was a lovely guy as well. I genuinely wanted him to win, I really like him and its savage that he lost.

I thought he won the last round as well, plus if you look at the way he landed when he got dropped he put his hands down so he must have regained consciousness as he went down.

I was not impressed with Clint, I would break his soul if he didn't knock me out in the first 2 minutes. I nearly called him out after the fight too.

Ben: Sticking with the recent UFC 169 event another English middleweight, Tom Watson was in action. How did you rate his performance and what do you think is next for Kong?
Brad: The fight was crap, it was like he was fighting not to lose. I personally think both me and Luke Barnatt would beat him and he is ranked above us both. Look at his UFC career, first of all he was given way to tough of an opponent in his debut in Brad Tavares. From Jack Marshman to Brad Tavares it was like welcome to the UFC that wasn't great match making in my opinion. Then his next fight against Stanislav Nedkov he went out and was trying to finish the fight and did. He rightfully got the Fight of the Night and Knockout of the Night bonuses for that fight.

Then I don't know whats happened, I like Tom a lot. I used to look up to him a lot. I just don't know whats gone on, just throwing leg kicks is asking to be taken down. I hope he gets another shot and he just comes out and tears it up.

Ben: Now lets look back at your fight in Manchester and the events after, do you feel that after your fight in Manchester you got the credit you deserved for the win? It seemed to me that other guys seemed to get a lot more air time and publicity after the fight.
Brad: It doesn't bother me if I am honest with you. In all fairness Luke (Barnatt) got the Fight of the Night bonus which was quite impressive. It was quite cool when he landed the upper cut on Craig, put his hand in the air and walked away and Andrew Craig was still on his leg trying to take him down. That was pretty funny.

I believe a lot of it is because my fight wasn't televised. From what I have heard I had one of the biggest cheers of the night. I couldn't believe the reception I got, I was chuffed to bits and wasn't expecting that. Plus, in all fairness my fight wasn't the most exciting fight though was it. It was a couple of exchanges which I feel I got the better off. I landed a good upper cut put him against the fence and choked him out. Once I knew I had the choke I cranked on it so hard I hurt my back.

I was happy with the credit I got. When I beat the next guy then I will be more satisfied.

Ben: Did it annoy you that when your fight was announced for UFC London the fans were commenting negatively and wanting bigger names and better fights on the card?
Brad: No I'm on the undercard anyway so that doesn't bother me. I think they were more interested in the main card but they should be happy with what they get on the prelims. I could understand if I was on the main card, but not with me on the prelims. I think everyone on the whole card is awesome.

I do know what the fans mean though, they want big big names. They want guys that they have seen on a regular basis on the bigger shows but on the prelims its the guys working there way up the ladder that's why they are called the prelims. Due to the time zones you're not going to get Jon Jones and the fans should be happy that the show is being headlined by Gustafsson. As fans if you want to see the best unfortunately for us Brit's you've got to travel.
England does not have a big enough fan base yet which is why the UFC are trying to promote it in England by putting English fighters on the card. Beyond The Octagon is a fantastic show they are trying to promote a big show, trying to build the sport and promote English fighters and the fans moan, come on give em a chance.

I would be happy to be on the prelims for the next 5 fights and I would not care. I genuinely mean that, I think the pressure goes up as you go up the card and people expect more but people will be impressed by my next fight. I'm going to light Claudio up.... touch wood.

Ben: The win last time proved you were justified to go up in weight, what was your reasoning behind moving up a weight class?
Brad: Food. My whole life depended on dieting but now I can eat what ever I want as long as my performance is good I can eat what I want. My only worry was being dwarfed by people but I was a bigger build than Andy Enz, I move faster than a lot of middleweights and its a reason why John Crouch and everyone at the MMA Lab has been trying to get me to move back down to 170. When I go in there and get absolutely man handled that's when I will consider going back down in weight but until then I'm staying at 185.

Ben: For this fight did you ask for a specific fight?
Brad: All I did was ask to be on the London card then they gave me Claudio da Silva and as soon as that name come through I knew exactly who it was and took it. It could have been anyone mind I would have taken it but I said yeah 100% I know who he is, I know what he is good at, I've seen him fight he's a jui jitsu master.

Ben: Your back at the Lab for this fight, is that something you intend to do for every camp now?
Brad: The Lab is awesome, I know its predominantly a lightweight gym but there is a lot of heavier guys there as well and they are all good. We are all learning the same, we are all drilling the same, we're all getting our hard sparring in. It doesn't matter what size you are you can still share the same gym. I do a lot of sparring with Benson, hard sparring because Benson is the same height as my next opponent but he is fucking stronger than my next opponent. Benson is a freak of strength, he lifts me clean up and slams me but he hasn't managed to keep me down or submit me yet.

Ben: Being at The MMA Lab seems to have a family atmosphere do you agree?
Brad: Yeah its the same as Dragonslair, I think that's why I get on so well. Everyone helps each other, great sparring, two of my sparring partners are all American wrestlers. One of them is good at jui jitsu as well, he won the worlds at blue belt and I know people may say its only blue belt but its the world championships so its legit.

Ben: Last time out you promised me a win by knock out, whats the plan for this fight?
Brad: Yeah I fucked up didn't I. I really doubt I am going to submit this guy, I want a knockout... not a TKO, I would love something horrific where his teeth hit the back row in the binocular seats. We will see what happens, I have to keep it tight stop him from locking anything on if he gets me down and then let him have it when we are stood up.

Ben: Did you find going back to The MMA Lab easier as you knew everyone?
Brad: I knew everyone and sparred the first day I got back, I felt personally I went back a better fighter. I had been drilling all the things I had been told to while I was away and I returned 10x the fighter I was the first time I went to The MMA Lab. I have added another boxing coach back in the UK, both of them are completely different styles and I am blending them up so I will be devastating people.

Ben: What was it like to walk out in the UFC in UK?
Brad: What compared to Australia, fucking awesome. I got spat on in Australia. I couldn't believe the cheer I was getting. It gave me goosebumps.

Thank you for your time, we really appreciate it and hope you have a safe trip back to the UK and we will see you in action as the UFC returns to London on March 8th.

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

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

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

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

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

surveys

UFC extends agreement with BT Sport to broadcast EMEA & Asia fight nights

BT Sport agrees deal to show UFC London live plus more fight night shows

The first event this will include will be UFC Fight Night London: Gustafsson vs Manuwa on the 8th March at O2 Arena, London.

The UFC has announced an agreement with BT Sport to broadcast its six EMEA Fight Nights live, in addition to delayed broadcasts of the Asia Fight Nights. The agreement is an extension to the current contract, which already sees the channel broadcast the UFC’s global events, and will now offer more live UFC content on TV.

The deal will begin with UFC Fight Night London: Gustafsson vs Manuwa on 8th March live from London’s O2 Arena. The EMEA and ASIA Fight Nights are a collection of events throughout some the major cities in Europe and Asia as the UFC begins to significantly increase its presence in the regions through locally driven prime time content. The new access will give subscribers live prime time viewing access, including every bout on the fight card and behind the scenes footage, along with our weekly Beyond The Octagon programming.

Garry Cook, Executive Vice President and Managing Director of UFC EMEA, said:

“We are delighted to be working with BT Sport on our exciting new EMEA and Asia Fight Nights. They have been a fantastic partner of the UFC here in the UK and this will only strengthen our relationship.

“British fans want to see more and more of the UFC during prime time TV and this extended agreement will allow them to watch every single fight, and much more, throughout the EMEA and Asia Fight Nights.”

Simon Green, Head of BT Sport said:

“UFC is one of the fastest growing sports in the world and we’re very happy to be adding these new FIGHT NIGHTS to our UFC content.  We know that UFC fans in the UK will be delighted to hear this news.”

UFC Fight Night London: Gustafsson vs Manuwa starts at 5.30 p.m. GMT at the O2 Arena. For further details on the event and the full fight card, please visit http://uk.ufc.com/event/ufc-london#/fight.
For more information about UFC, its events and programming, please visit http://uk.ufc.com.

Kingdom MMA reaction:

This is of course huge news for the UK fans who have been asking questions regarding TV coverage of the UFC London event for a long time now. I always thought that a deal would be agreed for this event, as it was with the Singapore event to show it on BT Sport. However to have agreed a deal for all EMEA events to be shown live is more than I expected as I expected the non UK events to be a Fight Pass only event.

The fact the Asia cards will be shown on tape delay isn't a problem either, lets face it. No TV provider would allow UFC to be shown live at 11am anyway and I quite enjoyed watching the Singapore card in the evening. If you want to watch it live then the option to watch on Fight Pass will still be available anyway.

From the wording of the press release it may even include showing the prelims as well for all of these events as it says "this extended agreement will allow them to watch every single fight". If this is the case then it is brilliant news and a massive step to help promote the up and coming British talent on the UFC London card such as Brad Scott and Luke Barnatt who's fights never disappoint and more fans will now have the opportunity to see these warriors fight.