Dylan Logan (SBG) wasted no time in defeating Ron Butler (Ryoshin Academy) when the two met on Saturday night at Ryoshin Fighting Championship 8.
The crowd was buzzing with excitement as both fighters made their way to the octagon but Logan kept a cool head and efficiently went about his work.
Speaking exclusively to FightStore Media after the victory he said, “At the start of the fight Ron hit me with a shot and I knew that he wasn’t messing but I composed myself, took a step back and landed my right hand. Then I felt that panic rush and I knew what was coming. He dropped his hand and I got him in a triangle. When I get that triangle, as Paddy Holohan says I make them go ‘Jingle Jangle’.
When asked about his game plan, Dylan was quick to say that he never plans any of his fights. “I don’t game plan. I literally go in and flow. At SBG we’re prepared for everywhere,” he said.
This fight was important to Logan because it was the first time that he’d brought people to one of his fights. “I had my dad, uncles, brother, my girlfriend and all my mates here tonight. I was a bit nervous beforehand because I didn’t know how I’d perform but once I got out there and heard all the cheers it filled me with energy. I felt like they could off done no time limit and I wouldn’t have got tired. At past fights I’d show up and two rounds in I’d be gassed. I felt a real hunger to perform. When I landed that check hook, he paused and then wobbled. I threw a kick and then he panicked and rushed. As soon as I locked the triangle there was no doubt in my mind that he’d tap,” said Logan.
Speaking about winning the Lightweight title, Dylan said that ‘it feels good to take it back to SBG’. But he has bigger aims than the Ryoshin belt, “At the end of the day this Ryoshin belt means nothing to me. I don’t want to be the best in Ireland or Europe. I’m looking to be the best in the world. That’s just the way it is and that’s bred into us at SBG. If you’re not in it to be the best then why are you in it?”
Logan felt like he was at a higher level than the rest of the fighters. “. I feel like I’m a professional and all these other guys are amateurs. I think that the difference between us is huge,” he said.
He told FightStore Media that, “The preparation up to this fight was correct, I trained like a pro and cut weight like a pro. For my last four fights I’d show up in the morning and have 3 kg to cut but I’ve been on weight since Tuesday for this fight. I was having three meals a day and six litres of water. I showed up to the weigh-in fully hydrated with breakfast in my belly.”
There is a sense that every fighter from SBG has huge respect for John Kavanagh and Dylan Logan is no different. “I can’t go wrong with John in my corner. He knows how I feel without me saying anything. I’d be bouncing around back stage putting on a front in front of the other lads but obviously you get nervous, I am human. The nerves build up and you try to cover it but John knows what to say and when to say it. His instructions are so clear. You don’t hear that from the other corners. When you do what he says you win fights. There are so many waves of fighter coming through SBG. I feel like we’re just going to take over the game and dominate,” he said.
Dylan Logan will go straight back to training on Monday but he has his sights set on turning pro in the near future.
It was a night of slick submissions and impressive KO’s in the Roadstone Sports Club as two belts were on the line.
The Ryoshin Fighting Championship 8 delivered some very exciting contests and we witnessed some of Ireland’s best MMA prospects in action.
The Lightweight title fight headlined the show and it delivered on its promise to be one of the fights of the night. Dylan Logan (SBG Concorde) made light work of his opponent Ron Butler (Ryoshin Academy) with a fast submission inside the first minute of their bout. The two exchanged strikes but Butler was caught by a right hook from Logan. The fight went to the ground and Logan did impressively to sink a triangle and forced Butler to tap out.
Speaking to Fightstore Media after the fight, Dylan Logan said, “As soon as I locked the triangle there was no doubt in my mind that he’d tap.”
In the Flyweight title fight Hughie O’Rourke (Team Ryano) defeated Matiss Zaharovs (Cill Dara MMA) via arm bar. It was a fight which Matiss had been dominating after a barrage of shots and successful takedown attempts but Hughie showed great determination to stay in the fight and got his reward with a well-constructed arm bar to take the victory. O’Rourke was presented with his belt by team-mate and UFC fighter Neil Seery.
Elsewhere on the night we witnessed an all-out war between Jamie Finn (Team Caveman) and Nathan Kenna (Full Power MMA). The flyweight bout will be well remembered by everyone in attendance as both fighters settled their feud inside the octagon. Kenna was very dominant in the first round, taking top position on the ground and attempting an arm-bar. For his part, Jamie Finn showed an impressive resilience to survive the submission attempt when many felt he would tap.
The second round was a more even contest with both fighters taking control on the ground. In the third round Nathan Kenna finished Finn by TKO. He caught Finn with a one-two and launched a vicious ground and pound which forced the stoppage.
After the fight Nathan Kenna told Fightstore Media, “I think it was an easy opponent. The first two rounds were hard. I couldn’t get the arm bar, that’s what I was going for but in the third round I saw the knock out and I took it. My brother told me to go for the one-two and it came off.”
Fresh from his victory Kenna wasted no time in calling out the new Flyweight champion, “I want to fight Hughie O’Rourke for the title next. I’m going for the belt and I’m going to keep it then I’ll think about going pro.”
Another highlight of the night was the contest between Ian Coughlan (Paul Cummins School of Judo) and Makinde Adeyami (Ryoshin Academy). This match showcased both fighters grappling abilities as they went back and forth on the ground. Both men had successful takedown attempts but ultimately Makinde won by split decision. He produced some great athleticism to spin out of trouble and proved to have the edge over Coughlan.
The preliminary card produced one of the most memorable moments of the night. Adam Nowak (Arena Wexford) finished Dillan Douglas (IMMA Next Gen) by tap-out due to strikes. Nowak caught him with a heavy knee to the body which left Douglas in agony. When Nowak launched his ground and pound straight after there was little that Douglas could do and was forced to tap out.
The Ryoshin Fighting Championship 8 was an entertaining night of MMA action. It is a great platform to develop young MMA talent and it’s clear that the future of Irish MMA is bright with so many exciting fighters on display.
Check out Ryoshin Fighting Championship 8 on Facebook.
Cian Cowley – Remember his name because this former ISKA Irish K1 Champion is tipped to make a huge name for himself in the world of MMA. An accomplished Thai boxer, Cian has been taken under the wing of one of the world’s best MMA coaches, John Kavanagh. The switch from his home at Warriors Muay Thai to Straight Blast Gym (SBG) has been a difficult transition but one which he is relishing. Under the tutelage of Coach Kavanagh, Cian is determined to become a well-rounded MMA fighter and aims to make his professional debut in 2016.
It has been two months since Cian walked through the doors at SBG and it has taken him a while to adjust to his new surroundings. Cowley said, “It’s been difficult going from being at the top of Thai boxing to a day one beginner in Jiu Jitsu. It’s hard on the mind because you’re going in and beginner level lads are throwing you around the mat and I’m not use to that, but I’m really enjoying it. I’m starting to get the bug for Jiu Jitsu as well.”
The transition from being an expert in stand-up to day one Jiu Jitsu was a tough challenge for Cian but it is something which he has not taken lightly. “Some lads in the gym are high level grapplers and they go to stand-up and say that it’s so hard to learn but I think it would be easier going from the ground up. There’s not a lot to stand-up technique wise, it’s more so how you use it and you’ve to be smart with your footwork but in Jiu Jitsu there’s an answer for everything and there’s so much to learn. It’s a never ending puzzle and that’s why I would rather have had experience in Jiu Jitsu and went to Stand-up,” he said.
Many have questioned his decision to leave Thai boxing and pursue a career in MMA but it was a move which Cian felt he needed to take in order to make a living from martial arts. “I wouldn’t say it was because I saw the success of everyone else; I’m not trying to copy anyone. I have followed some of the lads from SBG but even by looking at the media exposure MMA has now; it made sense for me to move into the sport. I dedicated ten years to Thai boxing and I could have dedicated my life to it; I had a good name in the Thai boxing world but I’m not going to have money at the end of it. There is only a small majority of people like me that depend on this for their livelihood; I’ve no other job or qualifications so I have to fight, and fighting to make money won’t happen in Thai boxing so that’s why I had to move to MMA,” he said.
The move has been met with criticism as some people have said that he is turning his back on Thai boxing but that couldn’t be any further from the truth in Cowley’s mind. “I don’t really care what anyone thinks, that’s my mentality inside and outside of fighting. I’d rather have everyone hate me rather than love me. For the people who are saying that I’m turning my back and I know I’m getting a lot of stick from them saying all I want is fame, and obviously money and fame are nice but I do it because I love mixed martial arts. In my opinion you have to be a complete fighter to do it. I’ve the opportunity to end my career by being able to say that I fought at the highest level of MMA where everything is put together. I think anyone who does martial arts should be able to say that they’ve done it. You can’t call yourself a true martial artist if you’ve not competed using every discipline. The ones saying that, are the ones who are jealous because they can’t do it. Real recognise real and they’re the true supporters,” he said.
“The real people in the Thai boxing community will see the true side of it and it’s not because I don’t love the sport anymore. At the end of the day it’s about my career and I need to make a living for myself so I’ll chase the money. I don’t care what anyone says I’ll never make any money in Thai boxing or K1. There’s only a handful of fighters out there who make decent money and I know lads in the game twenty years with real good names but still can’t afford their own house. I’m not going to be the one in my thirties looking back on a missed opportunity. We’ll see in a few years’ time who’s smiling at the end of it,” he added.
Cian carries a certain confidence going into MMA. He has been a multiple champion at elite level Thai boxing and he’s sure he can match any fighter on their feet. “I know I could fight anyone in the MMA world and I look at the UFC roster and I’m 100% certain I could stand with any of them. That will give me a lot of confidence going into the fights knowing that when they’re standing I can put them away. When I think about that it makes me real eager to jump in and do it because I know that I’d blow them away in stand up. At the same time it’s not just stand-up so anything can happen,” he stated.
SBG was the only gym that Cian wanted to join when he decided to move into MMA. John Kavanagh was a huge influence on his decision and he has learnt a lot from him already since joining. He explains that, “I didn’t really know what to expect from him because he’s so busy with everyone else so I was a bit optimistic. But after meeting him the first time and the first couple of sessions in the gym I can’t really put into words how grateful I am to him. He’s a huge influence on everyone in the gym and I can see why there’s such a good buzz. He’s really down to earth and a very smart coach. Even when I was thinking I’m not going to be good at this he was posting stuff on Facebook about me which gave me that belief to keep going and now I can’t see myself stopping at all. I don’t think I would have got that in any other gym so I’m grateful for that.”
The confidence which Coach Kavanagh has shown in him has been a huge boost and kept him focussed on getting better at Jiu Jitsu. “I’m not saying no other gym would have done the same thing but it’s just the way he’s been pushing me on to do it. I didn’t think he was even going to take notice of me but he said it himself that he’s been following a bit of my career before I joined SBG so he’s clued in and he knows that I’m here to learn. I taught he was going to think that I’m just another kick boxer wanting to do MMA because there’s a lot of people that do that and he’s probably seen dozens of them come through his door. I’m now working on the pro MMA team and that’s a privilege because usually it takes years to get to that stage. With John driving me on and giving me a good plug on social media it has definitely given me a boost and now it’s real,” said Cian.
Cian has been training six days a week in SBG since joining with double sessions every day. Being surrounded by so many big names in the world of MMA has been a surreal experience. He explained that ‘it was mad at the start’. “I’ve been around martial arts my whole life so training in that environment doesn’t phase me but it’s a reality check when you see who’s on the matt with you. I don’t realise when I’m there in the class but then when I look back on photos or think about training with a UFC world champion and other world champions from different organisations it’s very strange. Last week John was teaching a class and I was taking part in it; at the time I didn’t realise but then I saw a picture afterwards and there was Gunnar Nelson, Conor McGregor, Ryan Hall, Paddy Holohan and Aisling Daly – all these big names and then there’s me coming from Thai boxing to train with some of the best in the world. I definitely see it as one of the best MMA teams in the world because people travel from all over the world to train in the gym. You’d think that fighters would go to America but now people come to SBG and for me to be a part of that it’s a surreal feeling. It’s pushed me on to succeed and I’m delighted that I’m a part of it,” said Cian.
Cian Cowley has big plans for 2016 and he is sure to be followed closely by everyone involved in MMA. “I’ll have my MMA debut in 2016 and I want to hit the ground running. Once I have my first one I’ll try to stay as busy as I can because I really want to get my name out there as much as I can. I don’t know what John has planned for me but I want to fight often and stamp my name in the MMA world. By this time next year I want people in the MMA world to know who Cian Cowley is, that’s my goal for 2016. Then I can start thinking about bigger things like the UFC,” he said.
Rhys ‘Skeletor’ McKee (1-0) is an up and coming MMA fighter – fighting out of Next Generation Northern Ireland (NGNI). He made his professional debut at BAMMA 22 in front of a sold out 3 Arena and won impressively; gaining a lot of praise from his fellow fighters and various media outlets. Rhys is an unorthodox fighter with a great variety of skills and he has adopted a unique fighting style which is very hard for opponents to predict.
He started doing MMA during pre-season with his football team. “I went to MMA with my brother to get fit ahead of the new season and there was a grappling competition on at the gym so I competed in that. I’d only done a few classes but I got a feel for it and it just took off from there. Now I’m four or five years in and I’m loving it,” said Rhys.
Although he loved football, there was something about MMA that was different and sparked his interest. “It’s a buzz you don’t get off anything else; it’s not like football were you have ten other people you can blame, when you’re in the cage you can’t blame anyone else but yourself.” MMA is a sport that takes dedication and it comes down to you against your opponent and ‘when you get on the good side of a fight no one can take that shine away from you. Being on your own can be lonely but it’s a very rewarding sport’.
Rhys is trained by Rodney Moore, one of the biggest names in Irish MMA. It was Rodney who told him not to have a certain fighting style. “My coaches always said to have your own style and it’s something I’ve always remembered. I never got shouted at for using unorthodox moves while I was training and they even encouraged me to think outside the box.”
“I’m probably one of the most unorthodox fighters. I like using a lot of different angles and I think a lot about stuff. I’d say this works to my advantage because I don’t think any opponent will be able to work out a game plan to fight me. I’ve got a weird style which no one can mimic and it’s something you’d have to feel during a fight. I don’t think I’m an easy fighter to work out and as Bruce Lee says ‘having no style is the best style’,” He said.
In the build up to fights Rhys trains everyday besides Sunday. He would normally do ‘two sessions a day but that depends on what hours I’m working. I train a lot for someone my age and it can be tough at times but that’s what you have to do if you want to achieve the goals you’ve set’.
As an unorthodox fighter it can be hard to name a favourite strike or submission but Rhys said he likes to throw ‘a left hook to the body’ or his favourite submission would be a ‘guillotine or a Skelotine,’ the latter being a new submission he named himself.
He was given the nickname ‘Skeletor’ very early in his career. “When I first started at the gym I weighted 48 kilo and then I started to grow. I was cutting weight for a fight and it made me look like a skeleton then one of the lads in the gym called me ‘Skeletor’ and its stuck with me ever since.”
There has been no single inspiration for Rhys but he said “It changes for me all the time and at the minute I like watching Sage Northcutt, the new kid in the UFC. He’s only 19 and I’ve taken a lot of inspiration from him. People like Nick Diaz, Edson Barboza and Ross Pearson get me motivated. I love watching anyone that’s relevant to myself so at the moment watching Northcutt is cool because he shows you what’s possible. “
Rhys also said that he grew up watching Nick Diaz and his favourite fight was Diaz against BJ Penn at UFC 137. “I think it showed just how good Diaz was as a fighter. Obviously BJ Penn is a legend so that was my favourite fight”
Training at NGNI has allowed McKee to train alongside the likes of Dec Larkin and UFC fighter – Norman Parke. This environment has been a huge part of his development as a fighter. “They’ve been a massive help to me! When I first started coming to the gym these were lads that I use to watch at shows and now they’re taking me aside to show me how I can improve, change my skills and get better. I can’t thank those guys enough for what they’ve done. Still to this day they help me a lot. They’re good guys and it’s great to have them around,” said Rhys.
On the 19th September at BAMMA 22 – Rhys stepped in at short notice to fight John Redmond (5-10) and make his pro debut. He defeated Redmond by rear-naked choke at 1:38 of the first round. He said, “It was surreal because I was in work on the Friday night previous and my coach asked me how fit I was; he asked if I could do a three round scuffle and I said ‘yea, no problem’. Then he told me who I’d be fighting and obviously John Redmond is a big character in Irish MMA. I wanted to skip the queue and take the fight. I was sitting on weight the week out and there was no reason why I couldn’t have taken the fight. It was probably one of the best nights in my life! It will be hard to beat that night in the rest of my career.”
The fight showed how good McKee was on his feet and also on the ground. “I was happy that people got to see my show me hands after I told people I was a good striker. John came to fight and that brought the best out of me. I felt it went well, I was happy with my ground game.”
“I’ve fought in Dublin a few times and the atmosphere is brilliant but when you walk out at the 3 Arena it’s something a bit different. The crowd were amazing and it was an unbelievable night,” said Rhys.
Rhys also revealed exclusively to FightStorePROI that we may get to see him on the England V Ireland: BAMMA 24 card next year. He said, “There’s something in the woodworks, put it that way but I can’t say much at the moment. The England V Ireland BAMMA card is definitely a one I want to be on so watch this space! I’m looking forward to it.”
At the moment there is no one that he wants to call out and fight. “Once I get a few more wins under my belt I’ll start trying to skip the queue and calling out the big names. You’re not in the game for a long time so you have to try and get to the top as quick as possible,” he said.
As a young fighter he knows exactly how hard it can be starting out in MMA and he has offered his advice to anyone in that position. “I’d tell them to stay consistent and don’t lose your drive for it. It’s a tough sport and you will lose fights once you get in the cage but they’re the days that’ll make you as a fighter. They’re the days that will make the good days even better. You have to dig deep, stick with it, listen to your coaches and stay loyal to your team. That’s a big one for me – Stay loyal to your team!”
The ‘Skeletor’ recently became a sponsored fighter of FightStorePROi and he is delighted with the partnership. He said, “I’ve actually bought gear from them before the sponsorship and it’s great quality equipment. To have them on my team, sorting me out with training gear before fights is a huge boost!”
“I use to go onto their site and look at their gear and it was all brilliant. They sent me a bundle a few days ago and I’ve been using away at that training gear. It’s some of the best quality stuff I’ve had and even other guys in the gym have tried it on and spoke very highly of it,” said Rhys.
Dec Larkin (13-10) is an experienced fighter who is known as an excellent grappler but also a very good all-rounder. He is well known on the Irish scene as a fighter, referee and also for his role as a Promoter/Matchmaker with UXC. ‘The Bandit’ as he is known, recently won the Lightweight title at Chaos FC 14 and since then has fought in Europe twice. We caught up with Dec and he talked to us about his life as a fighter, training, advice to beginners and winning titles.
He began his career in MMA nearly fourteen year ago. “A friend of mine, Aidan Marron, was doing it and he asked me to come along and train one evening a week and then I couldn’t wait until the next week to get back at it again. It just escalated from that.”
Like many other fighters it was the love of MMA that kept him interested in the sport. He ‘enjoyed practising the techniques and trying to outsmart other guys.’ Every week was a different test and ‘I enjoyed sparring with other guys’.
His main inspiration growing up was ‘BJ Penn’ in the UFC. “Domestically it would probably be Aidan Marron, I went to a lot of fights with him and I learnt a lot from him. I started training with him and Davy Patterson at Elite Fighting Revolution (EFR), it’s where I got my love for the sport.”
‘The Bandit’ got his nickname when he began training at Elite Fighting Revolution (EFR). “Somebody called me a bandit one day and it just stuck with me since then. It came from joking about in the gym but I’ve kept it since then.”
He is known to many as a Grappler in the cage but Dec says that he is a ‘pretty good all-rounder’. “I know I don’t show a lot of my stand up but if you ask the boys in the gym they’ll tell you that I can stand and throw punches too. I’ve a good ground game and stand-up.”
A fight is won or lost by the amount of training that’s put in during a fight camp and ‘The Bandit’ is no stranger to this. “When I’m in a fight camp I train six days a week, probably twice a day. I’d do my fitness in the morning then go and do a day’s work and go back to the gym in the evening to work on my technique/ stand-up. I would normally take the Sunday off.”
In the cage Larkin loves to use ‘heel hooks’ and ‘leg locks’. “I have finished a fight with two submissions in one. I used a knee bar and a figure four foot lock, if you can picture what that’s like. That was pretty special!” He enjoys this technical side of MMA because the submissions are ‘hard to get and nearly impossible to defend against.’
After his victory at Chaos FC 14, Dec was invited to fight in Europe. He took a fight in Finland on two days’ notice and then fought Ange Loosa (5-0) at the Lions FC event in Switzerland one week later. He was unlucky to suffer two defeats but he enjoyed the experience of fighting away from home.
“It was different because you don’t have the crowd behind you. That’s probably a good thing too because there was no pressure on me but I wanted to go there and make a name for myself. I’m trying to do good things for my country. Northern Ireland is a small place and I wanted to represent it and try and open doors for others fighters.”
“I thought I was winning the fight against Loosa, until I made one stupid mistake and ended up paying for it.” ‘The Bandit’ lost by TKO in the first round but he hopes to fight again in Europe. “I’ve opened a few doors for everyone else and they’ve been messaging me looking for fighters. That’s something else I have to look into also, sorting fights for other guys to get into Europe. I’ll probably take on a small bit of management to help some fighters out.”
At the moment he has no fights coming up but he would like to defend his Chaos FC title. “I have to manage a few injuries at the moment so I’m just going to let them settle and then I’ll speak to my manager and see what we’re going to do. I’m a fighter and I’ll fight anywhere and anybody.”
In regards to his Lightweight title there is someone that ‘The Bandit’ would like Chaos FC to put forward. “I want them to put Stephen Coll forward. We fought a few years ago and there was a bit of bad blood after it. If Stephen Coll wants to step forward and fight me for the title then let’s do it!”
After he defends the title, Larkin would love to win more. “If you own a title it’s a pretty big deal because you’re walking around with a target on your head. Everybody wants to fight you but I don’t mind anyone wanting to fight me. I don’t run around looking to fight other guys except Stephen Coll. I’ll fight anybody.”
Dec has some very simple advice for anyone looking to get involved in MMA, “Do it!”“In my opinion MMA is like a drug, people get addicted to it. You go and start one class and you’re hurting after it but you can’t wait to do it again. I love the sport. We have small guys around 10 or 11 years old and they can’t wait till the next week to come back to class. Every part of the sport is addictive, whether it’s boxing, Thai boxing, Jiu Jitsu or Wrestling; there’s something there for everyone. My advice to anyone thinking about it would be to give it a go and not worry about partying at the weekend.” MMA teaches you ‘respect’ and ‘discipline’.
“There’s a really nice guy in my gym called Rhys McKee but you wouldn’t think by looking at him that he was a fighter except for his cauliflower ears. I would say that this kid will be a superstar next year. I would give him 18 months and he will be a star. He recently fought at BAMMA 22 were he beat John Redmond. That kid will be awesome and he’s going to go far.”
Dec ‘The Bandit’ Larkin is a sponsored fighter of FightStore Pro Ireland. He said that he was ‘very happy’ with the sponsorship. “They gave me a load of gear and all my walk out stuff, even driving all the way from Dublin to my home so I could get my fight gear the day before I flew to Finland. They’ve went out of their way for me more than anything else and have been great at promoting me.”
“I’ve recommended them to quite a few people and there is a code up on their website for me. If you type in the ‘Bandit10’ you get 10% off, so hopefully a few people have used that.”
UXC Fight Night 4 Results started with an interesting format of 4 man tournament( with the best lightweights in IRELAND an NI Ireland), then continuing with a fight card of 9 fights ahead. The event was a great platform for a lot of the debutants and without a doubt some promising talent was noted. With such events you can witness the growth of young fighters and seeing that Irish MMA is rapidly growing, it is obvious that some fighters and their teams are putting an incredible amount of work taking their performances to the next level at each show.
The first fight of the night Karl Bell (EFR) taps Jay Ar Campos(KOKORO) via armbar. Karl securing himself a place into the lightweight final of the 4 man tournament. The Second fight Decky McAleenan( TORRES NEWRY) defeats Ron Butler(RYOSHIN). Getting him a place into the final now facing Karl Bell for the belt.
The third fight of the night Jamie Horner(RAPID FIRE) submits his opponent after 2:08 seconds. Next fight Ross Quearny (C-MAC MMA) KO his opponent after 17 seconds into the fight.On the 5th fight Nathan Kenna(G1 MMA) caught his opponent with an armbar in the first round showing his impressive jiu-jitsu skills.
Ryan Daye(FAI) faces Stuart Graham(CHUM SUT),both guys keeping a good distance, throwing punches in and out .S.Graham working from close guard almost locking up a triangle at the end of the first round. Onto the second round after 2:31 seconds Graham get caught by R.Daye with a nasty liver kick, surprising his opponent and the crowd.
On the 7th fight John Paul Mc Mullen(YOUNG SPARTANS) defeats Marcin Postolachi(RYOSHIN) with a TKO 2nd round.
Next fight Lukas Dawidowicz wins over Elliot Levi(SBG). L. Dawidowicz dominating the whole match, scoring a few takedowns and maintained the top position most of the time. Elliot doing a good job by getting up quick or trying to work from the bottom. But his opponent had and answer for everything. Last round, Lukas takes his back and submits Elliot with RNC. An incredible battle by both guys.
Robert Burke (C-MAC MMA) showed some impressive ground skills, taking down hisopponent then maintaining the top position and getting an armbar over Stewart Kenny(CRFS).
Eric Nolan(RYANO) won with a TKO over Joe Mc Mahon(FAI). Eric mostly working from the body clinch against the cage trying to get the takedown, Joe almost pulls a guillotine. The fight goes to the ground and Eric feels really comfortable by showing good transitions.While both fighters are standing Eric throws a few combinations and TKO’s his opponent.
Mark Doughan(SUDDEN IMPACT) submits Julian Oreagan(HEAT MMA) with a standing guillotine.
Next bout Sean Paul Power (RYANO) faces Gerry Smyth(TORRES NEWRY), a great performance by both guys, but Sean Paul seemed more prepared in the fight. Sean Paul dropped Gerry a few times with a strong right hook. Gerry working from the bottom, then almost taking Sean Paul’s back. Sean doing a great job escaping, standing up, he then dominated the whole fight scoring a dominant decision.
The last fight of the night ended up with Karl Bell facing Decky McAleenan in the final for the lightweight title. McAleenan rocket Bell in the first few seconds, then lands a head kick, the fight goes to the ground and McAleenan gets the back and submits Karl Bell via RNC.
The night ended with 5 subs and, showing that most of the fighters are taking in consideration the ground game, by using their ground skills wisely and calculated. Very impressive BJJ skills were shown by some fighters, with good timing and understanding of the BJJ guard. Most of the teams are extremely active on the scene by getting involved in BJJ tournaments, K1 and Thai Boxing events on top of the MMA shows.
UXC Fight Night 4 Card
Decky McAleenan (Torres Newry) Def. Karl Bell (EFR) by RNC, 02:34 in round 1
Sean Paul Power (Ryano) Def. Gerry Smyth (Torres Newry) by Decision, 03:00 in round 3
Mark Duggan (Sudden Impact) Def. Julian O´Reagan (HEAT MMA) by Guillotine, 01:15 in round 1
Eric Nolan (Ryano) Def. Joe McMahon (FAI) by TKO, 1:04 in round 2
Robert Burke (C-Mac MMA) Def. Stewart Kenny (CRFS) by Arm-bar, 1:36 in round 1
Lukas Dawidowicz (C-Mac MMA) Def. Elliot Levy (SBGi) by RNC, 00:34 in round 3
John Paul McMullan (Young Spartans) Def. M Postolachi (Ryoshin) by Verbal Submission, 02:03 in round 2
Ryan Daye (FAI) Def. Stuart Graham (Chum Sut) by TKO, 02:31 in round 2
Nathan Kenna (G1 MMA) Def. Patrick McNally (PHK MMA) by Arm-bar, 01:24 in roudn 1
Ross Quearny (C-Mac MMA) Def. Glenn McVeigh (FAI) by KO, 00:17 in round 3
Jamie Horner (Rapid Fire) Def. Krystian Feist (Ferocity MMA) by Guillotine, 02:08 in round 2
Decky McAleenan (Torres Newry) Def. Ron Butler (Ryoshin) by TKO, 00:21 in round 1
Karl Bell (EFR) Def. Jay Ar Campos (Kokoro) by Arm-bar, 01:40 in round 1
The International Pro Combat champion at 170lb (77kg), Vitor Nóbrega, is putting his belt on the line against Ireland’s Philip “The Honey Badger” Mulpeter on Monday 26th of January 2015. The event will take place at 8pm and it will be held at The Black and Silver Hall in the Casino Estoril, Portugal.
Vítor Nóbrega is 15-8-1 in his professional career with 9 submissions and 3 KO/TKO wins under his belt. Check out Vítor Nóbrega on Facebook.
Philip Mulpeter, who is fighting out of SBG Ireland, has a professional record of 7 wins and 4 losses. After having a though year in 2014 due to his last 3 bouts being cancelled, Cage Warriors 70 in August; Cage Warriors 74 in November; Tech-Krep FC in December, Philip Mulpeter will be looking to put all that behind in 2015. Check out Philip Mulpeter on Facebook and Twitter.
João Bonfim “Cabrália” takes on Vitor Pinto, an athlete from ONE FC;
Emerging from the Nóbrega Team, 70 kg tournament champion of the Cage Fighter, André Fialho returns to the octagon against the Moroccan star: Otman Najae;
Denis Araújo and Geazi Souza promise a great show, one of the most long awaited fights that will define the next challenger for the 70 kg title;
In the dispute for the 66 kg title, the one and only Helson Henriques (Angolan living in Portugal) takes on a great star from the 66 kg category in Spain: Agoney Romero, former athlete from the M1 Global;
We here at Fightstore Pro Ireland wish Phil Mulpeter good luck and we look forward to seeing the 170lb IPC belt on Irish soil!
Check out below the stare down photo between Phil and Vitor.
Fightstore Pro is sponsoring the UK And Irish MMA Awards 2014.
Your MMA have been running monthly awards to crown the best action in UK and Irish MMA all throughout 2014. Every month they have seen thousands of visitors voting on categories such as Fighter of the Month and Knockout of the Month.
Along with Fightstore Pro and JY Nutrition, Your MMA are bringing each of the monthly winners and a selection of the highest scoring ‘wild cards’ (most votes in second place) to the polls so you can decide who gets the nod in the 2014 UK And Irish MMA Awards.
Each winner will get a £100 bundle from Fightstore Pro and the same again from JY Nutrition.
Click on the image below to cast your vote!
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