Battleground report

Fight 1 – Maxi Smith vs Ramalah Ali - Thai Boxing match (3 x 2 minutes)

Round 1:

The second female fight in Clash of Warriors history got the night off to a great start. Both fighters were making their professional Thai boxing debuts and Maxi Smith had the crowd on her side. Maxi appeared to be the more aggressive fighter as round one got under way, getting in a lot of punches. She then followed this with a powerful kick but this was misjudged and she ended up on the floor. Ramalah went in for the attack but the ref stepped in. After a few good punches by both, each fighter ended up on the floor and again the ref stepped in. Ramalah responded well and now appeared to be much more aggressive than at the start of the round. She delivered a barrage of punches to the head which were all connecting well - the ref had to step in. Following the punches Maxi was starting to look slightly unsteady on her feet. End of round 1.

Round 2:

As soon as the second round started, Maxi had brought Ramalah down to the ground again. The ref stepped in and the fighters were back on their feet. Both fighters looked a bit more cautious in this round with each holding the other at bay. Both looked pretty evenly matched in this round with Maxi managing to get Ramalah down to the floor just before the end of the round.
Both fighters got in a number of good blows as the third round kicked off. Maxi had Ramalah pinned up against the cage but could only keep her there for a second.

Round 3:

Both fighters got in plenty of punches and Ramalah landed a lot more kicks than she did in the first two rounds as Maxi was looking more defensive than before. In the last few seconds, Maxi responded well with a barrage of punched and kicks just before the end of the round. The referee for this match was Wayne Kirk.

Fight 2 – Bernard McGuigan vs Mahmood Besharate - MMA Semi-professional fight (2 x 5 minutes)

Round 1:

Mahmood, making his semi-professional debut tonight, had a height advantage over his opponent. As the first round got underway, both fighters got off to a cautious start holding each other at bay for a while. Both fighters appearing to prefer going for kicks than punches, especially Mahmood who successfully connected a number of well-timed high and low kicks. However, Bernard responds quickly and manages to take his opponent down. Whilst down there, Bernard delivers a number of punches to the chest with Mahmood unable to do much more than defend himself and take the punishment.

Round 2:

Round 2 gets off to a similar start with both fighters beginning cautiously, but before too long Mahmood has his opponent pinned up against the cage. The two exchange a couple of knees and both manage to get in a few punches to the stomach before the ref steps in to separate them. Bernard is appearing to be more aggressive in this round than in the first. After holding each other at bay for a few seconds, Mahmood lands a powerful kick on Bernard’s leg which sees him limping back. As Bernard is clearly unable to continue, the ref steps in and stops the fight. The referee for this bout was Judo Jim Wallhead.

Fight 3 – Andy Crichton vs Yahia Abaza - Thai Boxing match (3 x 3 minutes)

Round 1:

Local boy Andy as usual had plenty of support from the crowd. Both fighters started off with a couple of good kicks and, for a few seconds, Andy is pinned up against the fence by Yahia. Yahia gets a few good punches in until Andy gets back his position. After a few seconds of exchanging punches and kicks, Yahia gets in a couple of good high kicks to the head and Andy loses his footing and drops to the floor. At the end of round one, both fighters are looking evenly matched.

Round 2:

After exchanging many punches and kickes, Andy drops Yahia to the ground with considerable force, but the referee steps in to stand Yahia back up. As the round continues, both are still looking evenly matched but both are also starting to look tired. The ref is forced to separate them a couple of times as neither is getting engaged in the fight.

Round 3:

At the start of round 3, Andy gets a good punch to Yahia’s head making him look slightly unsteady on his feet. Both are clearly tired now, and although both struggling to stay up on their feet, neither will give up. The pair keep each other at bay until the end of the round. A very competitive performance from both. The referee for this bout was Wayne Kirk.

Fight 4 – Subaig Singh vs Jabir Hussain - MMA Semi-professional fight (2 x 5 minutes)

Round 1:

Subaig had brought with him a huge number of fans for tonight’s fight. As round 1 started, both fighters were quick to get in a number of kicks and punches. Subaig misjudges a high kick and Jabir takes advantage of the mistake managing to get his opponent pinned down to the ground. As the two are locked in position, cheers of “Singh is King” can be heard from the audience. With both fighters back on their feet, the action continues. Subaig successfully blocks one of Jabir’s kicks and follows through with a move that has Jabir pinned down to the floor of the cage. The ref steps in to keep the fight going and both fighters are back on their feet – but only for a second. Again Subaig has managed to get his opponent pinned down, but this time Jabir brilliantly manages to get out of the pin and turn the tables. Subaig is now pinned down but manages to get out of it just before the end of the round.

Round 2:

The second round kicks off and after a few good punches by both fighters Subaig has Jabir once again pinned down on the cage floor. He delivers a barrage of punches to the head, then moves into position and goes for the choke. The referee for this bout was Judo Jim Wallhead.

Fight 5 – Sonny Carr vs Andy Parsons - MMA Semi-professional fight (2 x 5 minutes)

Round 1:

Although there was a considerable age gap between these two, they are of similar height and have the same MMA record. As the first round begins, Sonny wastes no time and quickly has Andy pinned down to the floor. Andy attempts to get out of it, but Sonny maintains his position, delivering a few punches to Andy’s chest. With the two fighters back on their feet, Andy now has Sonny pinned up against the cage holding him in a choke position. Sonny almost gets out of the choke. Whilst locked in this position, both of them get in a few more punches to the chest. Andy moves into the right position and completes the choke. The referee for this bout was Judo Jim Wallhead.

Fight 6 – Ben Rose vs Jamie Lee - MMA Semi-professional fight (2 x 5 minutes)

Round 1:

Ben Rose was another of tonight’s fighters with plenty of local support from the crowd. After a good exchange of punches and kicks at the start of round 1, Jamie has Ben pinned down to the floor of the cage. Ben almost gets back up to his feet but Jamie makes sure he only ends up pinned against the fence. Jamie seems to have Ben exactly where he wants him – however after a number of attempts, Ben is back on his feet. However Jamie wastes no time and Ben is soon pinned back up against the fence. Ben defends well and manages to get in a number of punches to the head. Despite these punches, Jamie almost manages to get Ben down on the ground, but this time Ben gets out of it and is back on his feet. Ben gets a few good kicks and punches in, but just before the end of the first round, ends up against the fence again.

Round 2:

For a few seconds it looks like the second round is going to be a repeat of the first, as Jamie quickly has Ben pinned against the fence. However, this time Ben manages to reverse the position and pin Jamie against the fence. Now in an advantageous position, Ben lands a barrage of punches to the face. With Jamie’s face covered in blood, the referee has to step in to stop the fight. The referee for this bout was Judo Jim Wallhead.

Fight 7 – Pawel Wydzinski vs Dave Latus - MMA Professional fight (3 x 5 minutes)

Round 1:

As the round kicks off, Pawel gets in some power kicks which make good contact. Pawel looks like the more domineering fighter with Dave looking more defensive, but it is still early in the fight. However Dave soon steps it up a gear, goes for the takedown and manages to get Pawel down to the floor. Pawel makes a few attempts to get out of it, without success, and with both fighters not being active, the referee has to step and stand the fighters up. After an exchange of punches and kicks in the centre of the cage, the tables have turned and Dave is now pinned down on the floor by Pawel. An evenly matched first round.

Round 2:

Round 2 gets off to a start and both fighters are making a good number of punches and kicks, however none of them are really doing much damage. After a while Pawel has Dave pinned down to the ground. He attempts to go for the choke but has to settle for getting in a few punches to the head. After a while the ref steps in to stand both fighters up for the last few seconds of the round.

Round 3:

Round 3 gets under way and Dave quickly gets in a powerful punch to the face. Pawel goes for the takedown but misjudges his attack and ends up pinned down to the floor. After  a grapple, Pawel is now on top and keeps Dave pinned down. The two appear to be locked in a stalemate and before long the ref has to step in again. Once both fighters are back on their feet, the action starts going again and both fighters get in a few blows to the head and ribs. In the last few seconds of the round, Dave has his opponent pinned down once again and delivers a barrage of punches to the head. End of round 3. The referee for this bout was Judo Jim Wallhead.

Fight 8 – Danny Mack vs Ricky Gammon - MMA Professional fight (3 x 5 minutes)

Round 1:

Plenty of support for local fighter Ricky Gammon from the crowd tonight. Danny almost has Ricky on the floor but Ricky manages to evade the attack. The ref steps in and calls a brief time out after a badly aimed kick. The action starts up again and both fighters get in a large amount of punches and kicks. Ricky gets in a powerful punch and follows it by getting Danny pinned down to the ground. Ricky delivers a barrage of punches to Danny’s head while Danny is on the ground. He takes lots of punishment without fighting back. At this point the referee has to step in to stop the fight. The referee for this bout was Judo Jim Wallhead.

Fight 9 – Johnny Gillan vs Lee Johnson - MMA Professional fight (3 x 5 minutes)

Round 1:

Lee quickly takes Johnny down to the floor. Johnny makes a number of attempts to get back to his feet but none are successful. Lee manages to deliver a barrage of punches to the body and head, sees the opportunity for a choke and capitalises on it. The referee for this bout was Judo Jim Wallhead.

Fight 10 – Peter Rejdovjan vs Kieran Mullin - MMA Professional fight (3 x 5 minutes)

Round 1:

Plenty of people had travelled to Nottingham from Manchester to support Kieran in tonight’s fight. The first round begins and Peter wastes no time, immediately getting Kieran pinned down to the floor, then delivers a number of powerful blows to the head. Peter gets back to his feet for a second, then goes in for the attack again. However this time Kieran times it brilliantly and manages to completely reverse the position from his back and mount his opponent. Now that Kieran has the mount position, he uses the opportunity to deliver a furious barrage of punches to the head, and the ref has to step in to stop the contest. The referee for this bout was Judo Jim Wallhead.

Fight 11 – Venceslau Rangel vs Pete McGurk - MMA Professional fight (3 x 5 minutes)

Round 1:

The fight begins and each of the fighters delivers a few good punches and kicks. After a short bout of grappling in the centre of the cage, Pete is now pinned face down to the ground. Venceslau delivers a number of heavy hammer fists to the face. At this point, Pete was out and Venceslau saw the opportunity and went for the choke. The referee for this bout was Judo Jim Wallhead.

Fight 12 – Karsten Lenjoint vs Jurijs Karpenko - MMA Professional fight (3 x 5 minutes) for the Clash of Warriors Featherweight Championship title

Round 1:

The crowd went wild for Karsten in tonight's Featherweight Championship fight. The two fighters each managed to get in a couple of kicks and punches at the start of the round. Jurijs attempts to trip Karsten but his plan backfires and Karsten seizes the chance to get an advantage. With his opponent pinned down, Karsten delivers a barrage of punches and it is only a matter of time until the referee steps in to stop the fight. The referee for this bout was Judo Jim Wallhead.

Fight 13 – Ronan McKay vs Leigh Cohoon - MMA Professional fight (3 x 5 minutes)

Round 1:

Like at his last fight, the shouts of “Cooney” could be heard even before the previous fight had finished. Leigh got off to an aggressive start, quickly getting the first punch in. Ronan responds well and quickly has Leigh pinned down. Leigh wastes no time and manages to grapple his way out of it. The two grapple in the centre of the cage for a few seconds until Ronan once again manages to get his opponent pinned down on the floor. Lee manages to reverse his position from being on his back and ends up in Ronan's guard. In this position, Ronan sees the opportunity for a triangle which he seizes. The referee for this bout was Judo Jim Wallhead.

Fight 14 – Christian Smith vs Andrejs Zozulja - MMA Professional fight (3 x 5 minutes) for the Clash of Warriors Middleweight Championship title

Round 1:

Christian had returned to defend his current title and did not disappoint. Within seconds of the start of the round, Christian was going straight in for the takedown. Andrejs was quickly pinned up against the fence then Christian had him down on the floor. Christian wasted no time, delivering a barrage of punches. Andrejs tried to escape from his position but his efforts were in vain as Christian had no intention of giving him any chances. The punches continued with Andrejs having to withstand a punishing barrage of blows to the head. Christian manoeuvred into the perfect position and continued to deliver the punches. It was only a matter of time before the referee stepped in to stop the fight. The referee for this bout was Judo Jim Wallhead.