Fighters v34i01

INSIDE: SINGH VS BURTON / HARRISON VS SARMSAMUT!

www.fightersmag.co.uk SUCKER PUNCH The movie for real fighters by real fighters

CORNER MEN What are they for?

INCREASE YOUR SPEED With James Watling

MUAYTHAI’S TOP FIVE...

Hardest Hitters

JAMES THOMPSON The truth about the Kimbo fight!

THE KING IS DEAD!!!

Has MMA stolen Boxing’s crown?

STOP PRESS...

QUINTON GOES ON THE RAMPAGE! is THIS THE END FOR JACKSON?

AUGUST 2008 £3.50 08 9 770260 496080

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CONTENTS

CONTENTS EDITORIAL The King is dead- long live the King, is our bold headline, but is it fact? Many are now predicting the demise of the fighters of the square ring, in favour of the ‘gladiators’ of the cage.

Such predictions seem to be true of the fight game in the States, where MMA creeps ever more into the mainstream but what about here in the UK? It seems the jury is still out and the British remain to be convinced. We still like our stand-up, slug-it-out, kind of battle. This could be down to the fact that we don’t have the history of wrestling in our sporting tradition as do some other countries. All too often at MMA events as soon as the action goes to the canvas the crowd get restless, with constant cries of ‘stand-em-up’ .Audiences still seem to prefer a good old knock-out to a brilliantly executed, technical submission any day.

Another problem, here in the UK, is that MMA still doesn’t seem to have captivated the mainstream press and all too often in this country that is where the power base lies.

While at grass-root level, huge sums of money has recently been pumped into inner-city amateur boxing by the government, in an attempt to help get kids of the streets, so we may yet see an even more spirited fightback by Queensbury’s heroes.

Talking of heroes, it was sad to hear just as we were going to press, of Rampage Jackson’s troubles. At this stage it is pointless to speculate as to the cause. All I can say is that when we met him he was a really nice guy and we wish him well.

This month we also have James Thompson’s side of his controversial defeat at the hands of Kimbo Slice and why he believes he deserves another shot at the American.

Very topically, as ITV 4 air Muay Thai the Contenders, read what the responsibilities are of a ‘cornerman’ for a professional Thai Fighter; not to be taken lightly.

6

NEWS ROUND-UP Domestic & International

10

MUAYTHAI LEGENDS England’s Muaythai Show of The Year!

15

THE KING IS DEAD Long Live The King

18

SUCKERPUNCH Reel Fighting, Real Fighters!

22

IN THE CORNER Responsibilities of The Corner Man & Trainer in Professional Muaythai

26

SHOUTFIGHT TV Could This be Another Industry Standard For All Martial Arts

32

JAMES THOMPSON The Truth About The Kimbo Fight!

34

FIGHTERS 5 HARDEST HITTERS Muay Thai

37

ALL GOOD THINGS COME TO THOSE THAT WAIT Boxing column with Joe Holroyd

39

IMPROVE YOUR GAME Part 3 by James Watling

42

HEIWA DREAM.3 Lightweight Grand Prix 2008

46

TRAINING WITH “THE JET” Benny Urquidez Seminar

50

SHOWDOWN 4 The Sheffield “Octagon”

54

CAGE RAGE 27 Step Up!

58

BAD COMPANY MUAYTHAI Leeds Town Hall

62

GOLDENBELT World Championship Kickboxing

64

CAPITAL PUNISHMENT York Hall

68

BATTLE ON THE PARK Report by Alexandra Evans

72

BARINDER SINGH VS SHAWN BURTON The Sheffield “Octagon”

74

KICKBOXING AND WHITECOLLAR AT IT’S BEST! Friday Fight Night Featuring Newark’s Barmy Army

77

INDEPENDANT BRITISH THAI BOXING RANKINGS

78

ISKA RESULTS

80

ISKA MUAYTHAI AND KICKBOXING RANKINGS

82

WAKO PRO RANKINGS

WWW.FIGHTERSMAG.CO.UK PUBLISHER/MANAGING DIRECTOR Paul Clifton EDITOR Marcus Haig SENIOR DESIGNER Mark John Davies GRAPHIC DESIGN Kevin Thompson ADVERTISING/SALES Julie Davies (0121 356 7616) UK THAI SUB EDITOR Dan Green UK MMA SUB EDITOR Rob Nutley UK BJJ SUB EDITOR Carl Fisher UK KICKBOXING SUB EDITOR Cris Janson-Piers UK BOXING SUB EDITOR Joe Holroyd

CONTRIBUTORS THAI / KICKBOXING Tony Myers, Paul Hennessy, Shaun Boland, Neil Holden, Carl Sams, Colin Payne, Rob Cox, Charlie Joseph, Dawn Whillock HOW TO GET WORK PUBLISHED Drop us an email at fighters@martialartsinprint.com or give the editorial team a call on 0121 344 3737 NEWS ITEMS For all news related items, simply mark your envelope “FIGHTERS NEWSLINE” and together with a photograph (if required) and a covering letter, send it to: FIGHTERS, Head Office or E-Mail: fighters.news@btconnect.com COVER Photo Courtesy of FEG HEAD OFFICE: FIGHTERS, 135 Aldridge Road, Perry Barr, Birmingham. B42 2ET. Tel: 0121 344 3737 Fax: 0121 356 7300 E-Mail: fighters.magazine@btconnect.com ADVERTISING DETAILS If you would like to advertise in FIGHTERS email us at fighters@martialartsinprint.com to obtain details, deadline dates and costs.

MUAYTHAI LEGENDS PREVIEW page 10

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Page 8 WWW.FIGHTERSMAG.CO.UK August 2008

NEWS ROUND-UP

Have you got news for us? You have? Then e-mail us at fighters.news@btconnect.com

MUAY THAI

DE RANDAMIE BEATS KITCHEN IN CLOSE FIGHT One of the biggest shows in the world took place in Jamaica on 20th June.

England’s Julie Kitchen took on pound for pound the best female fighter in the world Germaine De Randamie.

Da Randamie thought a cautious fight showing a lot of respect for her opponent and rightly so. A much improved Kitchen fought a very clever fight against a promsing but slightly subdued Kitchen.Kitchen though showed her worth pushing De Randamie at times and representing a difficult clever opponent who De Randamie was able to bully.

De Randamie was the winner but this was no push over as many had predicted with a clever and tactical Kitchen proving a difficult opponent. A more confident Kitchen, having gone the distance twice, would certainly represent a real challenge for De Randamie who already regards Kitchen as her “most difficult opponent to date.”

Full results of the show were:

IKF & IKKC Muay Thai Light Heavyweight World Title.

Manu N’toh (USA) defeated Vincent Vielvoye (Holland) by TKO-Injury at 2:39 of round 1. (Dislocated knee) IMTC Muay Thai Super Welterweight World Title Baxter Humby (USA,) defeated Jiangtao Dong (China) by unanimous decision.

IKF Muay Thai Light Middleweight World Title.

Deiselleck Rungruangyon (Thailand) defeated Marco Pique (Suriname / Holland) by unanimous decision.

IKF Muay Thai Super Heavyweight World Title.

Patrice Quattron (France) defeated Rick Cheek (USA) by TKO at 2:00 of round 1.

IKKC Muay Thai Cruiserweight World Title.

Kaoklai Kannorasingh (Thailand) defeated Clifton Brown (Canada) by split decision.

WBC Muay Thai Super Welterweight World Title.

Yodsaenklai Fairtex (Thailand) defeated Malaipet Team Diamond (USA) by TKO at end of round 3 due to a cut.

KICKBOXING

JAMIE CRAWFORD IN DENMARK British super middleweight number one Jamie Crawford got the opportunity to fight in Denmark in a top 8 man tournament in June.

WBC Muay Thai Super Cruiserweight World Title.

Steve McKinnon (Australia) def. Ashwin Balrak (Holland) by unanimous decision.

Despite a promising start though Crawford never really fulfilled his potential and lost to Danish fighter Kasper Dybmark in the first round. Czech fighter Jiri Zak went on to win the whole tournament beating Dutch fighter Ruben Van Der Giesen in the final. Van Der Giesen interestingly will go up against British number one Christian Di Paolo for the WPKL European title on the 20th September in Gorinchem, Holland.

on suspicion of Felony Evading, hit and run and reckless driving, further charges may follow.

believed to have been posted by UFC President Dana White, was set at 25,000 US Dollars.

A police source said that there was no evidence that Jackson was under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time of the incidence. His bail, which is

July has not been a good month for ‘Rampage’ who earlier lost his UFC light heavyweight title by a controversial unanimous decision to Forrest Griffin.

WBC Muay Thai Middleweight World Title.

Lamsongkram Chuwattana (Thailand) defeated Farid Villaume (France) by unanimous decision.

MMA

QUINTON ON THE RAMPAGE As we go to press ‘Rampage’ Jackson has been hospitalized, for mental health evaluation, after friends concerned about his unusual behaviour, flagged down a passing police car. This was Jackson’s second police encounter in as many days, as two days earlier he had been arrested following a three-mile car chase. The incident began with Jackson sideswiping two cars, in his new custom-painted truck, slightly injuring a pregnant woman in one of the vehicles.

Later when police spotted Jackson driving with a flat tyre, believed to have been damaged in the earlier incident, and talking on his mobile phone they attempted to pull him over. Ignoring sirens Jackson proceeded to drive away erratically, crossing carriageways into the path of on-coming traffic, running red lights and causing pedestrians to scatter.

Jackson was eventually arrested at gunpoint and booked into Orange County jail

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Page 10 WWW.FIGHTERSMAG.CO.UK August 2008

Muaythai

Legends n Saturday 16th August 2008, Dan Green Promotions, in association with the World Muaythai Council, will host England’s muaythai show of the year, Muaythai Legends in London. Muaythai Legends features the very top English fighters against the very biggest names from Thailand and is one of the WMC’s showcase events in Europe.

O

Taking place at the Fairfield Halls, Croydon, London, 3 big name Thais are headlining the show - Somluck Kamsing, Sakmongkol Situchoke and Kaoponglek go up against 3 British number one’s in their respective weights - Kieran Keddle, Steven Wakeling and Contender Asia star David Pacquette.

The show then also features a top ladies muaythai WMC world title between Bernise Alldis and Chajmaa Bellekhal. The show’s undercard features a number of bouts including European and English titles - that could headline any other show in England.

TV Coverage for Muaythai Legends is second to none with Dan Green Promotions previous shows being broadcast on British Eurosport, Eurosport, Eurosport Asia, UBC Thailand, Cambodian TV, Fox Sports Australia and Astra (Moroccan television). Two new channels have already agreed to broadcast 2008’s

Kieran Keddle

Muaythai Legends : Channel 7 Thailand and TGN Global giving sponsors more television coverage than any other muaythai promotions company in the UK. Let’s take a look at each of the main events in turn:

STEVEN WAKELING VS SAKMONGKOL

Sakmongkol fought in England 18 months ago, beating the man who not so long ago was hailed as pound for pound Britain’s best fighter - Peter Crooke. Other recent scalps for Sakmongkol include Australian legend John Wayne Parr. Sakmongkol is hungry and looking in great shape for the fight.

Wakeling however is turning into a bit of a giant killer himself, having also beaten John Wayne Parr and Jomhod in 2006. Then in 2007 he was crowned the Kings Of Kickboxing tournament winner and WKA world champion in Munich on 9th December 2007. He is arguably Britain’s most succesful ever muaythai fighter having been WMC, WBC, WKA and S-1 Champion.

Sakmongkol is a former Thailand fighter of the year with nearly 300 fights to his name and is known for his dangerous left leg, being one of Thailand’s hardest ever kickers. Wakeling knows all about Sakmongkol’s favourite weapon though and whilst Sakmongkol is taking the bout seriously (he thought Peter Crooke was an easy fight in comparison!) we tip Wakeling to stay away from the left leg, use his range effectively and to win this fight on points.

KIERAN KEDDLE VS SOMLUCK KAMSING (THE MAN NO-ONE WANTED TO FIGHT)

Somrak Kamsing “The Man No-One Wanted To Fight” will be arguably Thailand’s biggest ever name to fight in England.

Somrak (also known as Somluck) started muaythai at just 7 years old. He boasts an impressive record of around 250 muaythai fights with just 16 defeats.

Never champion of Lumpini or Raja, Somluck said it was because no champion would put their title on the line against him and if you ask any old school muaythai trainer they do regard him as pound for pound possibly the best muaythai fighters of muaythai’s golden era.

Easy to see when you see the list of names he has beaten: Namkhabuan Nongkee Pahuyuth, Sakmongkol, Chamoukphet, Boonlai Sor Thanikun, Sivudlek , Pannamlong , Kongtoranee Payakaroon (Samart’s brother)... etc Basically he got shut out of the limelight for being too good for his own good. You can catch him beating Lumpini champion Boonlai Sor Thanikun on youtube here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vECE43 SAw1E&feature=user Somrak then began training in Western boxing at the age of 18, later boxing for the armed forces and through this entered the 1996 Olympics.

He then became a true national hero in 1996 when he became Thailand’s first ever Olympic Gold Medallist, winning the Featherweight boxing category, with no teenager from Thailand’s big cities not knowing his name.

He is also famed for his Kings Cup Birthday appearance in 2000, when he took apart top French fighter Kamael Djamel, widely regarded as the top European fighter at his weight at the time. Recently Somluck has had a starring role in ‘Born to Fight’ and taken top muay thai fighter Sanchai Sor Kingstar under his wing. With two pop albums and a game show under his belt, Somluck Khamsing is a true Thai legend...

To read the rest of this article make sure you get your copy of fighters available from WH Smiths & all good newsagents

MUAYTHAI LEGENDS Page 11

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The man no - one wanted to fight

Somluck Kamsing

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Page 16 WWW.FIGHTERSMAG.CO.UK August 2008

Iron Mike was boxing’s last personality that can be recalled by the average person or casual fan. Sure there was Holyfield, Big George Foreman, and Lennox Lewis - all great champions, two of who bested Tyson.

Still, most people remember Iron Mike.

Tyson fights transcended the sport of boxing. They weren’t fights; they were grand spectacles: events of their own. It didn’t matter who the opponent was. Mike could have been pit against the Pope, Elvis, or even God; and it still would have been called “The Tyson Fight.”

“Boxing’s dead.”

“Boxing’s not what it used to be.”

“There are no good fighters out there today.”

These are just a few of the comments thrown around by fans of the sport of kings waiting patiently for a breath of life into the flailing lungs of boxing.

In spite of a virtual plethora of organizations boasting their own version of a world title, most people would fail to name even one of the men who stake claim to a form of the fragmented heavyweight championship. WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO, IBO (quite possibly, anoth-

er organization surfaced as this article was being written), does it matter anymore?

Yet with at least five world heavyweight belts, can the casual observer name even one champion? If so, rest assured that person is in a rare group. Try naming two, three, or four. I’ll bet that my eight year old niece would have a better chance at naming all four Beatles.

Raised on boxing, I was lucky enough to see many of the sport’s greatest warriors, some in their prime. I sat transfixed in front of an enormous television that was set inside of a wooden cabinet. There were two round knobs to change the channels on the right side of the monstrosity, one for the UHF channels which regularly broadcast static.

Somewhere within the channel selection of 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11, and 13, I witnessed Ali win his title back from Leon Spinks; Sugar Ray Leonard win the welterweight championship from Wilfred Benitez; Alexis Arguello fall to Aaron Pryor two times - I watched a few cartoons back then too.

As I grew into adulthood, the archaic television was upgraded to one with a remote control and the addition of a cable box. Between closed circuit TV and cable, my boxing fix was satisfied with wars from some of the greatest fighters to ever lace up gloves.

Duran beat Leonard. Leonard beat Hagler.

Hagler beat Hearns. Hearns beat Duran.

These men all fought each other, and were so dominant that they only need to be referred by their last names to be recognized.

Today’s boxing PPV numbers pale in comparison to the consistent record breaking cards that Tyson pulled even when his career was on the decline. Delahoya and Mayweather drew a record PPV number for their recent bout, but it was not without spending an enormous amount of money on promotion.

Commercials, print media ads, and - for the first time in boxing history - an entire cable reality TV series was filmed to hype the fight.

Deduct those extra expenses and see if Iron Mike isn’t still boxing’s PPV king.

Tyson fights needed no hype, just a date and a time. People tuned in just to see if someone could last at least two minutes with the champ. Round two of a Tyson fight was rarer than an honest politician. Once, PPV providers had to promise a three round guarantee or the fee was reduced.

With the absence of Tyson, many boxing fans have found solace in a newer combat sport: MMA (mixed martial arts).

MMA combines one dimensional combat sports, like boxing and wrestling, and packages them together, extending the competitor’s arsenals. MMA bouts are a much truer representation of a real fight because the fighters are not limited to simply punching (above the waist) or kicking. Even when they engage wrestling skills, the objective is not to pin the opponent, but to win the fight by submission or stoppage. A judge’s decision is rendered if the time limit expires in the bout.

Rules are incorporated to ensure safety and eliminate the barbaric brutality of a street fight. Biting and poking in the eyes are two examples of banned offensive tactics...

To read the rest of this article Is it really necessary to say “Mike” why not take out a subscription when speaking of Tyson? Nuff said. by calling +44 (0) 121 344 3737

THE KING IS DEAD - LONG LIVE THE KING Page 15

TH E KING

IS DEA D

Long live the King

by Ray Mardo

Page 18 WWW.FIGHTERSMAG.CO.UK August 2008

SUCKER PUNCH reel fighting, real fighters! ucker Punch is the directorial debut of former ‘Fighters’ editor Malcolm Martin and is a fastpaced action comedy that has been dubbed ‘Fight Club meets Only Fools and Horses’. The film stars Danny John Jules (Red Dwarf’ and ‘Blade 2’) as a down on his luck fight promoter and Gordon Alexander (The Purifiers, Accidental Spy) as an enigmatic streetfighter, who form an unlikely partnership as they take on the local villain and top illegal fight promoter Maitland, played by UFC and Cage Rage veteran Ian Freeman. Their adventures take them through London’s seedy underbelly and meetings with a variety of oddball characters as they fight and argue their way to a final showdown with Maitland in a winner takes all climax.

S

Right from the start Malcolm, Producer Joe Long and leading man Gordon Alexander had a clear idea of the style of the film and this would be in direct contrast to the current trend for rapidly cut, jerkily edited, wire-enhanced fight scenes that although fast and frenetic, often left the action con-

fusing and headache inducing. The fights in ‘Sucker Punch’ were going to be clean and clear technically but brutal, grimy and realistic in execution, in keeping with the backstreet world being depicted in the film.

To this end Producer Joe Long’s connections as co-owner of ‘Sucker Punch’ production company Fighters Inc were to prove invaluable, as through the company’s vast network of connections, suitably dramatic locations were made available and gave the film credibility by anchoring it in a very believable urban jungle.

The film is also anchored in the realm of reality by the fact that the fights in the film are performed by high-profile genuine British fight stars making their film debutsIan ‘The Machine’ Freeman (Maitland) is our most famous MMA fighter to date, having pioneered British participation in the UFC and causing worldwide shockwaves when he destroyed Frank Mir, then the company’s poster boy. Recently Ian turned back the clock by recapturing the Cage Rage light-heavyweight title by

defeating the holder Paul Cahoon. Many wrote Ian off as ‘too old’ for the task but, in the physical shape of his life, Ian produced a textbook performance and totally dominated the fight. ‘Sucker Punch’ sees him in dramatic mode as the lead villain, a part he fought for in typical ‘Machine’ fashion after initially being offered a smaller fighting role. As with his performance against Cahoon, Ian surprised everyone with his dramatic prowess, ensuring that Maitland is a believable human-being first and villain second but you don’t have ‘The Machine’ in a film and not have him fight and Ian’s climatic battle with Gordon Alexander is being hailed as the most brutally believable fight in British cinema history. ‘Sucker Punch’ witnesses an undisputed star in the fight arena become a future star in the movie industry.

Leon Walters (Creel) is famous as our former World Heavyweight Karate Champion but he is now making a name for himself in the full contact world of K-1, winning both his fights so far by way of devastating KO. As with Ian, Leon’s role is much more than that of simply a fighter and he was thrown in at the deep-end, as all his initial scenes in the film are dramatic but he acquits himself admirably and brings just the right level of arrogance to his role without over-playing it. Leon gets a central night club fight in the film and with his looks, physique and performance is certain to land more roles in the future.

Paul Newby (Big Jim) and Matt Price ( Jim’s Brother) are also veteran champions in the Karate World and Newby, after winning the World Karate Title has since gone on to rack- up an unbeaten record as a professional boxer...

To read the rest of this article make sure you get your copy of fighters available from WH Smiths & all good newsagents

SUCKER PUNCH - NOBODY SAW IT COMING... Page 19

“Our Professionalism is your guarantee that any title you win with us will be One to be proud of”

Regional & National Pro Fights Guaranteed Fight Purses Competing at World Level Paid Travel & Lodgings Abroad Fighters Rankings Online Fight Sanctioning / Show Sanctioning Referee and Judge’s Qualification’s Show Officials Supply Service Open Arms Policy for All Regular Newsletter’s

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Page 22 WWW.FIGHTERSMAG.CO.UK August 2008

IN THE CORNER responsibilities of the corner man & trainer in professional muay thai

By Kru Shaun Boland

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You’re only as good as the fighter you work with, I don’t care how much you know, if your fighter can’t fight, you’re another bum in the park RAY ARCEL - Trainer of Ezzard Charles, Roberto Duran & Larry Holmes

IN THE CORNER WITH SHAUN BOLAND Page 23

he trainer or corner-man’s responsibilities begin from the very moment the fighter and team begin their travels to the fight. During the journey the corner man looks after the fighter’s welfare ensuring the right food is eaten, that the fighter is being hydrated prior to the fight and keeping the fighter mentally prepared and alert to the task ahead.

T

Before, during and after the fight no one is closer to the fighter than the trainer/corner man: * They oversee a fighter’s physical preparation for a fight. * They analyze the weaknesses of the opponent. * Create strategies for victory. * Advise their fighters in the corner between rounds. * Improvise last-minute strategic changes In professional Muay Thai the fighter receives a total of 4 x 2 minute breaks between rounds. During this time it is the corners responsibility to ensure the following for the Nak Muay: 1) Equipment 2) Preparation 3) Hydration 4) Cooling 5) Healing 6) Massage 7) Advice 8) Rules for the corner I liken these breaks to ‘pit-stops’ and quite often you will see the corner-men franticly preparing their fighter for the next round.

1) EQUIPMENT To ensure that the fighter is properly ‘serviced’ the corner man requires an array of equipment such as: * Corner Tote & Bucket * Towel & latex gloves * Cotton buds & Eye Iron * Ice pack & Water bottle * Scissors & Vaseline * Sponge & Water spray bottle * Zinc oxide tape & Masking tape In addition the corner man will need Thai massage oil, hand-wraps and also Thai pads/focus mitts to warm the fighter up. The corner man is responsible to ensure that the fighter has all their equipment to hand too, such as: Groin protector, gum-shield, shorts, Kruang Ruang, Mongkon and robe.

2) PREPARATION The corner man’s work begins in the dressing room where the fighter will be massaged and warmed up. Hand wraps are applied and the corner man is responsible for ensuring

the fighters gum-shield and groin protection are in place. Mental preparation begins here too, keeping the fighter focused and away from distraction, offering positive advice.

Upon approach and entry to the ring the corner man ensures that the fighter enters the ring safely and with a positive attitude, boxing gowns are removed and gloves are put on and taped up.

3) HYDRATION Hydration is singularly one of the most important duties that the corner man needs to perform. If the fighter is not correctly hydrated before and during the fight their performance will be limited and there lies a danger of collapse. Hydrating your fighter begins well before they reach the dressing room, it is important that the fighter receives adequate and regular sips of water throughout the day. During the fight small sips are needed to maintain hydration and to stop ‘cotton mouth’ when the mouth dries through nerves.

3) COOLING Keeping the fighters body temperature cool is also of high importance especially when they fight in hot climates. The following methods can be used to lower the fighter’s temperature: * * * *

Fanning using a towel Water spray over the body Ice pack to the back of the neck Releasing the shorts away from the waist to allow air to circulate

5) HEALING Reducing swelling and closing cuts are two of the prime concerns for the corner. Swells and bruises need to be acted upon quickly using the ice pack or eye iron. Cuts are a different matter and a fight can be quickly stopped if the bleeding isn’t stemmed and the cut closed. An anti-coagulant called adrenaline 1000 is allowed to be used and direct pressure to the cut, if not to severe usually stops the blood flow. Packing with Vaseline is also another way to seal the wound.

6) MASSAGE The fighter receives a full massage prior to their fight to stimulate blood flow and warm the muscles up...

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Page 32 WWW.FIGHTERSMAG.CO.UK August 2008

James

Thompson The truth about the Kimbo fight!

There has been a great deal of controversy regarding your last fight against Kimbo Slice, so from your point of view what exactly happened in that bout? (This is your chance to tell it as it really was.)

What do you say to the internet ‘Trolls’ that are accusing you of it being a ‘set-up’ so the fight could be stopped?

To basically sum it up, without moaning for too long, i feel like Kimbo was given every opportunity and then some, where as i wasn’t. In the third round, as soon as my ear burst and things were going Kimbos way a bit, it was stopped. The fight, like lots of fights was following a pattern. I was getting caught a little bit and eventually I’d take him down and go onto win the round. This happened in the 1st and 2nd and i believe this would have happened in the 3rd, but now we will never know!

Has all the negative talk upset you and how do you deal with it?

Put the record straight how bad was the ear before the fight and is it going to affect your future in the ring?

My ear has got more attention than me since the fight. It looked worse than it was actually. It wasn’t painful at all, it just looked nasty. As for now, its completely healed; its cauliflowered but I’m learning to love its uneven appearance. Its not a problem for the future and won’t affect anything; it just needed to heal up and that takes time.

People are saying that the ear was not that bad at the weigh in, if that was the case, what happened?

We tried to drain the ear before the fight, but couldn’t get any blood out. It might have been slightly bigger at the fight due to trauma at the training sessions, warm up etc. Also after the fight, at the hospital, the nurses couldn’t drain it either, so they had to make an incision. I’ll spare you all the gory details!

I don’t say anything to them, I never feed trolls!

I lock my self away in my quiet padded room and cry myself to sleep What was your impression of Kimbo Slice, is he as good as they say he is?

Kimbo seems to me like a guy that has a great story. He’s obviously very marketable and doing his best to be a legit MMA fighter. With him being hyped so much, there are pros and cons with it. The pro’s being money, fame etc. The cons being having to learn a hell of a lot in a short amount of time. In his fights, don’t get me wrong, his stand up is good, he comes to fight and is aggressive, but has a lot to learn on the wrestling and ju jitsu side.

What tactics had you prepared for him and were they working?

The tactics were to take Kimbo down off his or my punches and work from there. I was disappointed with my take downs from striking; once I got to the cage they were much better. I only had 5 weeks to prepare with London Shoot, so although the game plan was there, it didn’t really have time to solidify before the fight.

Did he fight the fight you had expected?

Yes, he likes to keep it standing, I wanted to take it to the ground.

Its pretty much how I expected.

Given that you’ve fought in Japan and across Europe, what were the differences you experienced fighting in the USA? I find the crowds in Europe and the USA pretty similar. In Japan, fighting is part of their culture and with that they have a lot more respect for the fighters and the sport in general. That said, the energy the American audience brings is really something special.

How did the home crowd react to you.

I was so focused in the zone, so to speak, that I didn’t really notice. I think I made a good impression and was told the crowd were booing me at the start, and cheering by the end. It says a lot to me about how the fight came across. I received a lot of positive comments afterwards.

You made history, with the fight going on to mainstream USA TV how good did that feel?

JAMES THOMPSON & THAT FIGHT! Page 33

It felt great to be part of such a big event. Being on the first network TV MMA show and being in the main event was definitely an honour. That along with being on the last ever Pride show in Japan is a very proud achievement for me.

As the UK’s biggest profiled MMA fighter, alongside Bisping, have you reached mainstream ‘celebrity status’ yet; do you get recognised in the street?

I do get recognised a bit, people always have a glance as I guess I’m a bigger than average guy so there’s always that curiosity thing going on I guess! Most people I meet are really nice and as the sport grows in popularity, so do the fighters that take part. There are a lot of knowledgable people out there and it’s nice to get to meet and talk with them. I wouldn’t say ‘celebrity status’ but I do get recognised by fans of MMA and it’s nice to meet the people that watch and support it.

Why did you split with Trojan Freefighters, was it amicable?

Basically I split with Trojan because even though the training was very very good, the fact that there were no heavy weights and the fact I had to go away to train abroad, which was costing a lot of money, left me in a situation which couldn’t continue. I stuck with Trojan for 2 years in those circumstances. It was a very hard decision as I learnt a lot from Trojan and they did a lot for me.

Tell us about your current set up?

I’m now training with London Shootfighters, who have a good capability of looking at my strengths and weaknesses; filling in the holes in my game. There are a lot of heavy weight wrestlers, submission and ju jitsu guys, not to mention guys like James Stabler who’s going to be a top boxer and of course Mostapha Al Turk, who is a great all rounder.

What areas of your game are you hoping to improve with your new training regimes?

Please give us a detailed breakdown of your current training routine.

I’ve always trained very hard, no matter where I’ve been, but now I train a little bit smarter as well. We do some really hard sparring sessions as well as hard cardio; we work the technical side, foot work, drills and work different positions - submission, ground and pound and work on getting my lactic acid threshold up. We do 2 to 3 sessions a day, not always flat out, but it basically covers everything to make me as good an MMA fighter as possible.

What are your current plans; who’s the next opponent and when?

At the moment there are no definate plans, or definate oponents. I am still contracted to Elite XC, so will hopefully fight with them again soon. Of course I would like to be on the CBS card again, Elite. Have lots of shows coming up, so I’m back in training, and gearing myself up for a fight in Sept/Oct time. When the time is right, I would also love to fight in Japan again.

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HEIWA

DREAM.3 Lightweight Grand Prix 2008 2nd Round

Alvarez, Uno and Kawajiri Win at DREAM.3 Written by Monty DiPietro.

Photos courtesy of FEG

Kawajiri vs Buscape

ALVAREZ, UNO & KAWAJIRI WIN AT DREAM.3 Page 43

AITAMA, May 11, 2008 — American wrestler Eddie Alvarez beat Norwegian shooto fighter Joachim Hansen in a thriller; while Japanese mixed martial arts legend Caol Uno won in the Main Event at tonight’s DREAM.3 Lightweight Grand Prix 2008 2nd Round.

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Held at the Saitama Super Arena, DREAM.3 featured winners from the inaugural DREAM event meeting in a trio of bouts in the 70 kg/154 lbs Lightweight class, with victors advancing to the Osaka DREAM.5 Lightweight GP Final in July. The card included five additional contests in a variety of weight classes. All bouts were conducted under Official DREAM Rules, (1stR x 10 min, 2ndR x 5min).

DREAM.3 marked an exciting new chapter in the development of the young fightsport production, as it was held in association with American sports entertainment company ProElite and broadcast live in the United States on HDNet Fights television.

UNO VS ISHIDA In the Main Event, it was Caol Uno meeting compatriot Mitsuhiro Ishida.

A cautious start to the fight, the boys circling without striking. Ishida tested with several low kicks before closing, only to be stopped by Uno’s devastating right hook and uppercut.

Ishida’s efforts left his face bloodied, prompting a doctor’s check. After resumption, Uno controlled with the punches until Ishida got the takedown he’d been looking for. Uno however locked up his opponent on the ground. Finally, Ishida found the side mount and threatened to set up the armbar. A wily Uno however escaped to his feet. Late in the round, Ishida managed another takedown to rear mount but could not make the sleeper happen. Uno was simply too good with his ground defense.

In the second round Ishida again went looking for the takedown, but again had a hard time getting past Uno’s strikes. As time ran down an increasingly desperate Ishida made a critical mistake. A single leg takedown attempt was challenged, and the pair came out of a roll with Uno in a strong rear mount. In a flash, Uno had wrapped the arms round to submit by choke sleeper.

“I know Ishida was eager to fight me,” said Uno afterward, “but I’m the one going home with the win. I’m very happy to be advancing in the Lightweight Grand Prix!”

ALVAREZ VS HANSEN The card’s penultimate bout was another Lightweight GP matchup, with Eddie Alvarez of Elite XC and Joachim Hansen fighting a terrific battle.

Alvarez got an early right straight punch in to drop Hansen hard, but could not follow up to finish off. Back on their feet again, it was Alvarez through with the fists. Hansen offered a good left as this started to look like a streetfight, before Alvarez body slammed the Norwegian to the mat. Soon another Alvarez right got past Hansen’s lapsing guard and dropped him again. Alvarez with another body slam soon afterward, the pair going to the mat with Hansen defending in half mount, Alvarez rising to pass with punches.

As the round wore on, the American might have had the edge in stamina, but both faces were battered and bleeding.

The second round saw tremendous action.

The fighters quickly went to the mat, Hansen striving for the choke hold, Alvarez escaping to get atop, only to be launched up and off by a high-speed Hansen leg elevator.

Back on the ground, Hansen got the legs around but could not maneuver for the triangle. Alvarez’s evasions were impressive, but the best was yet to come. After landing a bunch of punches, Alvarez saw a back mount backfire and ended up in a compromised position, Hansen appearing to have the armbar all but set. Alvarez spectacularly flipped over and out, emerging with his arms triumphantly thrust in the air. The fight ended with Alvarez beaming, Hansen beaten and the crowd on their feet offering a standing ovation.

“Eddie you are the toughest man I ever fought,” said Hansen from center ring. “It’s always nice to fight in front of a Japanese audience, always nice to win in front of a

Japanese audience, but it’s also nice to lose in front of a Japanese audience.”

Alvarez was gracious when he took the mic: “Thanks Joachim, but it takes two people to put on a fight like that, so we are both winners. Tonight we won the crowd! Thanks to everyone here in Japan for welcoming me the way you did, and thanks to everyone back home for supporting me!

KAWAJIRI VS BUSCAPE The last of the Lightweight GP fights had wrestler Tatsuya Kawajiri of Japan step in against Brazilian jiu-jitsu fighter Luis Buscape. This was a revenge match a long time in the making...

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Hansen vs Alvarez

Page 46 WWW.FIGHTERSMAG.CO.UK August 2008

Training with

“The Jet” Benny Urquidez seminar

By Kerry-Louise Norbury espite having the biggest fight of my career looming up on me very shortly (the WAKO Pro World Full Contact title), I couldn’t help but take time out to document my experiences whilst on the Benny “The Jet” seminar in New Mills at the end of May. It was just the extra motivational kick I needed to help me with my pre fight training.

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The seminar hosted by Jon Santry of Lifewise training started with a sit down introduction off the great Martial artist, Film Star and Stunt Actor Mr Benny Urquidez. Everyone sat in silence whilst he went through his background, his training principles and philosophies and it was at this stage I realised the first part of the seminar was going to be as important as the practical side of things.

Benny explained how he approached fights and prepared for them, creating an emotional ride which affects others. How he believed in himself and how he achieved his great success. I think some fighters concentrate solely on the fight preparation and not the mental and psychological elements. He is a big spiritual believer and having a system of internal training which relates to how one

deals with emotions, anger, fears, anxiety and how you deal with them when you are preparing for a fight. Benny told us that he meditates and strongly believes that no one can beat him, which is a good but rare quality in a fighter, I spoke about this further with Lee Charles, Benny’s UK understudy and he also meditates this is something I plan to study and take up myself. I believe it will really help me in my fight preparation. The internal training system is about going deeper, different levels, different frequencies and how you feel personally about it. I have been told in the past that I need to improve my balance in the yin yang. Apparently I have yang but have little ying, hence the imbalance! I found that all the way through the seminar Benny would use certain ways of teaching and actions we had to do to make us be aware of how he wanted us to be absorbed within his training style. It certainly wasn’t just a get up and punch and kick seminar, there was much more to it than that! It is no use talking about this area anymore as it’s a personal thing and can only be portrayed by the master himself, it worked for me and I witnessed his motivation and the effect his speech had had immediately upon my first session back at the gym.

Then we went into a warm up where Benny took part himself and proved not only did he look in excellent shape he was in awesome cardiovascular shape also. He demonstrated the flexibility of a 20 year old whilst showing some advanced stretching procedures.

We then covered the elementary areas of stance, movement and balance and he introduced everyone to the “clock” system of which I was already knowledgeable of as I have studied his tapes of old. A simple no mess no fuss fight system.

Although this was a kickboxing seminar I figured there would be a twist to it as...

TRAINING WITH “THE JET” Page 47

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Showdown 4 nowhere to run, nowhere to hide The Sheffield “Octagon” - By Marcus Haig owhere to run no where to hide: the Octagon will host one of the top female Full Contact kickboxing bouts the country has seen for a long time! The hype has being building steadily now for months, but the time is now here. The press are buzzing, the cameras are ready and sure there may be some bets laid as to the outcome.

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As this article goes to print in our magazine there will be two ladies waiting anxiously and maybe nervously for the biggest fight in their lives to happen, namely our very own, quiet and unassuming Golden Girl Kerry-Louise trained by Master Cris Janson-Piers of Falcon Fight Academy Dinnington Sheffield who is to fight Maori and New Zealand National Champion Georgie Tutaki trained by Rick Dobson who is also the President to WAKO New Zealand. Both fighters have a great fight record and are both experienced in several styles, which means the skill level will be at its highest for this match up. Tutaki comes to the table after winning the New Zealand National title last year and then competing successfully and at the very highest of standards at the WAKO World Championships in Portugal last year also. Kerry-Louise on the other hand is very experienced and holds no less than 6 World titles, three in Full Contact, two in Light Continuous and one in Points sparring but has been hampered by injury for the last three years. On her first fight back she attained the WAKO British title easily and then she and Cris went back to the drawing board. An intense period of training aided by sponsors including Pentagon Toyota, Allsports Int and a personal sponsor begun. This saw Kerry-Louise travel the World with Cris in the pursuit of excellence. Now she returns to the ring, still as that shy girl we all know her as, but a true gladiator in the ring where she does all her talking. Going into battle prepared with more armoury than she has ever had she stated, “I have a job to do, I know what is required of me and I am now ready” The New Zealand camp have known about the fight for a long time as contracts were sealed last year so they too have had much

time to prepare. Expect to see a different Tutaki enter the ring with what will be for sure a different style and game plan. From the information we have it appears the fighter thinks it could be a long drawn out battle but the coach seems to think a Maori KO is on the cards. This type of talk does not fluster Kerry-Louise, the girl with a punch like a brick hammer, the girl who unknowingly dislocated her shoulder in her last WAKO Pro World title fight with Siren Soras of Norway (Possibly the best female kickboxer ever) in the first round and still completed the fight out of the other stance and lost on a narrow points decision. A rematch was offered but since then Soras has retired leaving KerryLouise as the rightful contender hence this bout with Georgie the new challenger.

Whilst Tutaki may believe her new and extra training regimes may have given her an edge one thing they as a camp are not aware of are what Kerry-Louise has been doing behind closed doors in and out of the country also. The preparation for this fight and the desire of both of these fighters to lift the coveted hand crafted elite WAKO Pro belt has been awesome, this is why we believe we are in for a fight to remember.

The night will also see four other members of the National New Zealand team fight in three low kick and knee Intercontinental bouts and one more full contact Intercontinental bout who will be welcomed into the ring by the Maoris performing the spine chilling Haka.

Although the Haka can have many meanings in how it is performed it is for sure this will be the pre fight richtual, a traditional way of scaring their enemies prior to battle!

One thing is for sure whoever raises the WAKO Pro World title on the 31st August 2008 at the Sheffield Octagon will be a worthy winner and will go down in the history books of WAKO the World Governing Body for Kickboxing.

This write up would not be complete unless we heard what the fighters had to say, so we put some questions to the girls.

Questions put to Georgie Tutaki 1.How’s your training going? Have you done anything different in Preparation for this fight?

Yeah the training is going well, on track and working on some strategies for this fight.

Rick is working me really hard to be 100% prepared for not only a fight of this level and length, but also the calibre of the opponent.

2.What do you see as any dangers or areas you will have to be cautious of in your opponent?

Kerry is a strong fighter, with a lot of experience. So I need to be on my game, and ready for what ever she throws.

3.Where do you rate this fight 1-10, with 10 being the hardest you have ever had?

This, not doubt would be a 10. This is the highest a fighter can compete at, so it is a great opportunity to step up and show what I can do.

4.What kind of support are you experiencing at the moment, personal, sponsors etc, how many fans do you think you may have at the Octagon?

I’ve got lots of personal support at present with all my family, friends, club members and locals all getting in behind my training and preparation. I’m sure we will get quite a few supporters at the Octagon, have a lot of friends and family over in the UK at present and my parents are going to be travelling over with us which will be fantastic.

5.So go on then. Predict.....points...

KO....where do you see this fight?

How’s it going to go!!???

I think its going to be a close fight, I think it will go the distance and come down to points at the end of the 12 rounds. KerryLouise is a very good and experienced fighter, so it’s going to be a great fight...

SHOWDOWN 4 - SHEFFIELD OCTAGON Page 51

K e r ry-Louise Norbury

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Page 72 WWW.FIGHTERSMAG.CO.UK August 2008

Barinder Singh vs

Shawn Burton B

arinder Singh versus Shawn Burton lived up to the hype. The search for the best domestic dust up of the year surely ended at Starlite 2001 in Leicester where local hero Barinder Singh came back from the brink to win a breathtaking triple title battle against Shawn Burton.The hugely-anticipated scrap somehow exceeded expectations with Singh hauling himself off the floor to hammer his way to a ninth-round win that brought him the ISKA European light-welterweight title to add to his British and Commonwealth belts.The Midlands rivals swapped knockdowns in a sensational opening three rounds.

Burton hit the canvas from a right hand in the second then had Singh in desperate trouble in the next.Singh walked onto a left hook that shook him badly and Burton belted him to the floor with a similar blow.

Burton was down moments after Singh wobbled to his feet at ‘eight,’ but the referee ruled he had slipped. Singh got through to the bell and changed tactics from the fourth.

He circled the ring shooting out jabs and Burton set about hunting him down.

Singh had probably edged into a points lead going into the penultimate session of the 10-rounder and then Burton dramatically unravelled. He was sent crashing when Singh drilled him with a straight right down the middle. Burton landed on the seat of his trunks and groggily hauled himself up, but Singh soon belted him to his knees again and the referee signalled the finish.

But there was title heartbreak for Al Osta.He bid to reverse a previous points loss to Andy Pollard from Stevenage and claim the ISKA British super-middleweight title.But he was beaten again on a unanimous points vote. Osta was on the front foot for most of a close fight and then kept pumping out punches when Pollard drove him back in the last couple of rounds. But the points decision went to Pollard.

Singh’s cousins Harjinder and Karlbir Singh made it a family treble by claiming English titles on the same bill. Harjinder took the vacant super-bantamweight title with a repeat points win over Mel Dunthorpe from Norwich.Singh, a relaxed fighter who moves well and waits for openings before unloading flurries, was in charge from the start.He had Dunthorpe over in the second, fought his way off the ropes when the Norwich fighter briefly rallied in the fourth and then finished the fight on top.Brother Karlbir Singh took the short route to the featherweight title - belting Dave Stewart from Burton to the canvas twice to force the stoppage in just 53 seconds.

The judges couldn’t separate Mick Crossland from Jesters Gym and Oliver Walsh after four rounds.Walsh, previously a winner against Dale Woods and unlucky to drop a decision to Ricky Gammon, was picked off in the opening two rounds and then got closer to Crossland in the second half of the fight and let his punches go from both hands. Another good undercard match up, ISKA Commonwealth light-middleweight champion Tommy McCafferty hit too hard for Aaron Robinson (Lincoln) in a battle of champions.Robinson, holder of the ISKA British title, was down in the first and then stopped after taking another count in the second.McCafferty next challenges ISKA world champion Fran Zuccala on November 8.

There were wins for five other fighters from Leicester Kickboxing Club on the bill.

Dan Cashmore marked his return after a year away by dominating John Hewitt from Mansfield and heavyweight Justin Crowson was in charge from the opening bell against Graham Blackwell and forced a third-round retirement.Ian Jarrams and Norman Smith were convincing points winners over Shaun Law (Dragonfoot) and Michael Guinness (Sue Fell) respectively and Maciej Lee recorded a first-round stoppage of BJ Mayfield from Lincoln.

Kellie Murray got the show off to a winning start for the home club with a points win over Cath Adams (Dragonfoot).

BARINDER SINGH VS SHAWN BURTON Page 73

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Burton unravelled dramatically in the eigth

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