I think we can all agree that with the current day’s game, a fighter that solely relies on striking within their competitive MMA career is somewhat doomed from the start. As the sport evolves, so do the styles and coaching methods, which in turn hugely effects the new bloodline of young fighters that are being injected into the competitive ranks. Long gone are the days that British gyms lacked quality in the grappling department. Now, we see young, amateur fighters coming into the fray with a more complete toolbox of skills to express once locked in the cage.

Nestled in amongst the Stoneycroft district of Liverpool is the Aspire Combat Sports Academy (ACSA). Headed up by veteran Cage Warriors, ACB and Bellator fighter, Dean Garnett and BJJ black belt, Phil Turner, ACSA have its fair share of experience when it comes to providing their fighters with a complete skill set, especially on the mat.

One particular member of their team is 17 years old, Liam McCracken. Fighting as a junior amateur since 2015, McCracken has already accumulated seven amateur fights picking up four impressive wins. Delving into that further, two of those have come by way of submission and the other two have been lopsided unanimous decisions where it has seen Liam showcase an aggressive yet patient grappling game to dominate his opponent to the buzzer.

In 2018, it is clear to see that McCracken is really hitting his stride and developing into a tremendously exciting talent. After losing his initial fight under the Celtic Gladiator banner in February, Liam got back on the proverbial horse in June against Estonian born Sandro Gogoladze on the UK Fighting Championships 7 card.

Gogoladze was most certainly the longer-limbed fighter in the contest posing a threat from distance. However, from the offset, whether it be a coach-influenced game plan or his own fight IQ, McCracken pushed forward to dominate the centre and attempt to pressure his opponent against the cage. After an initial unsuccessful scramble for a double-leg, a persistent Liam grasped his hands around the hips and sent Gogoladze to the canvass via a slamming double leg takedown. From side control, McCracken manages to pressure Gogoladze into exposing his neck and without further ado, grasped a slick guillotine choke to put an end to the fight with only 1:40 on the clock in the first round.

Now, this is a good point to mention what I find most impressive about McCracken. Referring back to my mention of his ground fundamentals by way of his coaches at ACSA, it seems that there is a noticeable switch in his character once the fight hits the canvass. Whilst the fight is standing, Liam shows his determination and ferocity in trying to get the fight to the ground, but when he obtains that authority and feels comfortable, his mentality seems to switch to be a more patient, technical and calculated mindset in order to advance his transitions and work towards control. This “comfort” in these positions is surely derived from his time under Dean Garnett and Phil Turner.

After his win over Gogoladze, McCracken kept the momentum going with a unanimous decision win over highly touted Sam Gittins and moved on to arguably the toughest test of his amateur career within the Cage Warriors Academy North West promotion on December 1st to see out the year.

Cage Warriors Academy is the regional level of the main Cage Warriors promotion. Ingeniously, it develops young, talented fighters through the ranks of amateur, and then feeds them into the main Cage Warriors promotion and on to greener pastures. Top notch UK and Northern Irish talents such as Cory McKenna and Cage Warriors’ new signing Liam Gittins have paid their dues in the development program.

For the vacant Cage Warriors Academy North West junior bantamweight belt, McCracken drew MMA Academy Liverpool protege, Curtis Campbell. Campbell, another leggy, distance-based striker would attempt to avoid the wrestling pressure game of McCracken to no avail.

The first round was one-sided, seeing Liam assertively slam Campbell to the canvass on four occasions and look for control of the back. Unable to lock in a choke, the penultimate round commenced, seeing McCracken’s dominant groundwork prevail again. Observing a 17-year-old amateur having the experience to lace his opponent’s legs and remove his base against the fence to keep full control speaks volumes, and it is this type of virtuosity that is not only a pleasure to watch for grappling fanatics but sets a young fighter apart from peers.

Another impressive and well-drilled part of McCracken’s skill-set is his ability to mix up the entries into takedowns. A lot of fighters that have a predominant grappling style tend to repeat their same preferred takedown entry to their detriment – this is not the case here. Whether it be a snatched single leg from outside or a level change with a trip from the clinch, McCracken has an assortment of options to exploit to keep his opponent guessing.

The third round saw a somewhat desperate Campbell, now heavily down on the scorecards over two rounds, look for a much-needed finish to see out the contest. A shift in momentum and pace saw McCracken go on the defensive, receiving an airborne slam of his own in the process. However, his aforementioned “comfort” with all things grappling allowed him to avoid any serious danger and see out the final round for the unanimous decision win.

As McCracken’s 2018 comes to an end on a certain high, he is morphing into a legitimate prospect that has the scouse fight fans feeling the excitement. It will be interesting to see how he defends his amateur title in such a high-level environment as the Cage Warriors Academy. Everyone on their roster has a hunger to impress. They are well versed and eager to make a name for themselves to calve their path into the Cage Warriors professional world and onwards with the likes of Paddy Pimblett and Darren Till.

One thing is for sure, McCraken’s early start in the business has been a tremendous learning curve for him and his confidence and enthusiasm, along with his fan base, has only grown. It is exciting to see how his career will blossom come 2019 under the tutorage of Garnett and Turner.

I will be catching up with Liam in the coming weeks for an interview so standby for the second part of this instalment.

– Brad Dalrymple

Follow me on Twitter @Brad_MMA

Merseyside is now hailed for its fighting brawn. In recent years it has been propelled by names such as UFC title challenger Darren Till, Cage Warriors’ fan favourite Paddy Pimblett, boxing star Tony Bellew and once Cage Warriors champion and UFC newcomer Molly McCann. With notable names like that being produced on a somewhat regular basis, it is clear to see why there is a certain buzz in the fighting world around the talent that has recently emerged from the area.

On September 1st at Cage Warriors 96 in Liverpool, nestled well within the undercard, a certain fresh-faced flyweight had an excited Scouse crowd on their feet with a violent and fast-paced first-round finish.

Liam Gittins, originally fighting out of the coastal town of Southport, has recently taken the plunge into the Cage Warriors professional circuit. A standout in the amateur and regional leagues under the Cage Warriors Academy North West banner where he cemented his reputation by winning the Cage Warriors Academy North West flyweight strap, he has had the advantage of encountering high-level matchups even before his professional debut back in April 2018.

Cage Warriors Academy North West is at the forefront of sculpting talented young fighters from the area into future professional calibre mixed martial artists ready for the bigger leagues of the main Cage Warriors promotion. Prior to going pro, Gittins touched gloves with highly regarded competition such as John Hughes, Belfast’s Ciaran Mulholland and Welshman Ben Milnes to name a few, earning him a wealth of experience in the early stages of his journey in the sport to gather himself an impressive 11-2 amateur record. This has paid dividends as he sports a professional record of 3-0, all of his wins by knockout and boasts a seven-win streak in total. Not bad for a flyweight eh?

In his initial pro fight against Iain Postlethwaite at Almighty Fighting Championship 8 in April, Liam made a serious statement. He put a stamp on his pro career by taking the centre of the cage from the bell and putting together some fluid combinations. Postlethwaite ended up on his back and Gittins took full advantage by working in the guard, getting off some effective and consistent ground strikes, also avoiding an armbar attempt in the process. The last 20 seconds seen Postlethwaite against the cage with an unrelenting Liam throwing a barrage of shin and leather until the referee waved away the contest.

No one can deny, a young homegrown flyweight fighter that can put together three consecutive first-round knockouts is a great investment for a professional MMA promotion. Cage Warriors have taken that opportunity and added Liam to their flyweight roster – another example of how the Cage Warriors Academy is a tremendously savvy idea.

Liam’s debut under the bright lights of Cage Warriors came at Cage Warriors 96 in Liverpool on September 1st. In front of a passionate home crowd at the Liverpool Echo Arena, his stage was set. His opponent: technical Spaniard Kevin Cordero Lopez. Coming into the CW96 clash, Cordero Lopez was on a five-fight win streak at the professional level. He no doubt held the edge over Gittins in the experience department, fighting on the professional circuits over a year longer.

The fight was basically a carbon copy of Gittins’s other professional fights – a good old throw-down that seen wicked combinations and wild exchanges from the offset. However, it gave Liam a chance to show his durability and tenacity. This one wasn’t to have as much one-way traffic and seen Gittins get clipped 30 seconds in whilst trying to close the distance. Undeterred, he pushed forward and slammed Lopez to the mat with a well-timed, yet slightly rushed takedown. After a close scramble from an improvised choke, Gittins got back to his feet and kept the pressure going.

One fundamental strength Gittins possesses is the natural ability to stay in his opponents pocket (by all means where he wants it). Through lateral movement and intelligent cage control, he is able to make the cage feel very small. This attribute is tried and tested in his career up to now and seems to consistently overwhelm the opponent into making mistakes. Heavy hands, durability and forward pressure seem to be the winning concoction for “The Nightmare”, where time to find space and reset is a luxury when you’re across the cage from him.

After a looping right hand connects to Lopez’s chin with around one minute to tick in the first round, Lopez shows that split second look of blankness on his face. Naturally, Gittins unloads with a high paced onslaught of punches, step-in elbows and body shots until veteran referee, Mark Goddard decides he needs to step in and save Lopez from any further damage.

As the Liverpudlian crowd celebrates, a certain feeling of excitement buzzed around the Echo. Not simply an excitement felt after a home team fighter gets the “W”, but that feeling of primitive attachment when a fighter captures the love and support from their city.

As Gittins is developing, he is cementing himself as one of Merseyside’s own. Young, talented and game, the potential he has in his favour is something special. The fan base he has accrued in such a short space of time speaks volumes, and no doubt this will pay dividends in his future in the sport. At this present moment, Gittins is an attractive commodity in the world of professional MMA and should he keep keepin’ on, a prosperous future is on the horizon.

– Brad Dalrymple

Follow me on Twitter @Brad_MMA

On scratching the surface of the amateur and professional regional ranks, there is a host of talent that seems to be bubbling away ready for the big time. One that is climbing the ladder in the amateur (soon to be pro) ranks, is Romanian born Andreeas “Judoka” Binder who hails from the Shaolin Academy in Galway.

Shaolin Academy fighters are sculpted under the tutorage of veteran professional fighter Ben Davis. They have gained momentum and are now flourishing as one of the busiest MMA clubs in the country and have earned a solid reputation for consistently breeding promising fighters, competing on a range of shows, on all different levels.

A skilful Muay Thai practitioner, Binder has already gathered himself a spotless record of 6-0 in the K-1 amateur leagues. He is more than comfortable with trading shin from the centre of the ring and this type of competition has certainly shaped him in respect to the striking fundamentals, where he demonstrates a clean yet powerful kicking game.

However, make no mistake, Binder is no one trick pony – prior to him competing in MMA, he was a competitive Judo player from 12 years old, earning a second-degree black belt in the process. Two of his seven wins in his MMA career have been by submission with a impressive Round 3 armbar to take the super welterweight strap at Cage Ring Championship 6 against a durable Dawid Wisniosz being the most notable.

On November 25th in Galway, he looked to add to his title collection, however, this did not come to fruition. A close decision loss to John Mitchell but a slight spanner in the works of his quest to grab another strap.

Binder has since fought twice in the cage, finding a new stride. He has, by all means, redeemed himself with a very closely contested split decision over Ian Garry at Clan Wars 31 where he showcased his Judo repertoire, throwing his opponent to the mat multiple times with heavy slams and tosses.

Most recently in June 2018 at UK Fighting Championships 7, a slick Rear Naked Choke finish against Graham Mealand solidified his current double win streak with subsequent talks of going pro in the not too distant future.

I caught up with Andreeas to discuss Irish MMA, his career up to now and future plans. Here’s what went down…

Brad Dalrymple: Andreeas, its good to catch up. Can you start by telling me a little around your beginnings and home life for the people that don’t know – how did you end up in Ireland training and competing in MMA?

Andreeas Binder: Well, I came to Ireland when I was 7 years of age, I was always fighting in School so my parents decided to throw me into something related to Martial Arts to kill my energy and keep me busy. I started Kickboxing but didn’t really enjoy it, so I then started Judo at the age of 12 and in the space of 5 years, I got my black belt and dominated everyone in my division. I then entered a novice MMA event, representing my Judo club “Athenry Judo club”. Then Benjamin Davis spotted me and said I’m talented and should give it a go, so I did. The rest is history. Now, at the age of 21, I have 4 belts and my 2nd Degree Blackbelt in Judo

BD: So, with respect to your move to Shaolin Academy under coach Benjamin Davis, how do you think this has impacted your skillset and career?

AB: Ever since I joined [Shaolin Academy and Benjamin Davis] it has shown me new skills. Because of his high-level boxing and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu background, I have learned how to implement them in my game. The Judo played a big part in my career, but it has opened my eyes to more opportunities.

BD: So, it looks like your game has developed over the past few years. How would you describe yourself as a fighter? What can people expect when you are on a card?

AB: My game has developed big time, people love seeing me on the card because they are excited to see me throw people with Suplexes and other Judo throws because you don’t see it often. Like I said, I can finish a fight standing up or on the ground.

BD: I agree, the art of Judo is somewhat a rarity in today’s game. So as for your current career, you are currently 7-4, on a two-fight win streak. What is next?

AB: Yeah, I’m 7-4 on a two-fight winning streak, beating top level opponents. But, records are for DJ’s at an amateur level. I want as much experience before going Pro. I’m defending my UKFC title in Preston on 13th October and then challenging for the Clan Wars belt on the 17th November. This will be for my fifth title.

BD: Five titles would be a hell of an achievement, even at amateur level for sure. So in respect to going pro – what is your plans and when are you taking the plunge?

AB: Well, November is my last amateur fight, so I’ll talk to my coach and see when I can make my pro debut. He will tell me when I’m ready, I’m looking for pro debut probably January or February.

BD: Any preferences on the promotion for your pro debut? Can I be cheeky and ask if you have had any promotions approach you up to now?

AB: There have been two promotions approach me for my pro debut already, but I’m focusing on these two amateur fights first, then we can discuss [contracts]. I don’t mind which promotion, as long as I get good opponents and good pay. I would like to fight for BAMMA, Bellator, or KSW – I’d like that!

BD: It is good to hear you already have an idea of where you want to be. So looking forward to your fight with Simon Ridgeway at UKFC in October, what do you know about your opponent?

AB: I know he is a stand-up fighter, he is 4-1. This is nothing special, I have fought guys like him before. I can’t wait to go in there to make a statement, I have a lot of experience so it will be good and retain my belt.

BD: Brilliant, we will certainly be looking forward to that and hopefully, we can catch up post-fight. Last, of all, should you win your next bout, where do you aim to be in the next 5 years?

AB: There is no doubt about it, the real answer is WHEN I finish Simon Ridgeway, I have my last amateur fight booked on Clan wars for the 17th November, challenging Stu Mulpeter from SBG for the title. That will be my last amateur bout, I see myself as a World Champion in 5 years. Promotion-wise I don’t care. By the end of this year, many people will know who I am, and I will prove why I will be Number 1 in Ireland and the UK.

Binder will hope his aspirations come to fruition in the coming months, and we at MMAMotion will certainly be keeping an eye on his progress. UK Fighting Championships will go down on October 13th at Guild Hall, Preston.

Brad Dalrymple

Follow me on Twitter @Brad_MMA

Digging deeper into the amateur and semi-pro MMA circuits, it is easy to find a multitude of young fighters eager to kick-start their careers by grinding their way up the local ranks – none more so than Ciaran “The Dark Horse” Mulholland.

Mulholland is currently fighting under the Cage Warriors Academy banner and holds the Cage Warriors South East 125lb championship. For all of you that aren’t familiar, Cage Warriors Academy is the regional level of the main Cage Warriors promotion. Ingeniously, it develops young, talented fighters through the ranks of amateur, and then feeds them into the main Cage Warriors promotion and on to greener pastures. Top notch UK and Northern Irish talents such as Cory McKenna and Cage Warriors’ new signing Liam Gittins and all have paid their dues in the development program.

Mulholland, currently at the ripe age of 22, already has 13 amateur fights under his belt. Predominantly fighting at flyweight and bantamweight, he has shown skills that could propel him into the professional circuit. In the last year, he has finished three fights by submission. He snatched a perfect first-round armbar finish against Jack Eglin to cement him as the Cage Warriors South East 125lb champion, notched another beautifully taken first-round armbar on Jack Temple and a second-round guillotine choke against a dangerous SBG Ireland prospect, Dylan Ó Donovan.

In fact, not one of his seven wins has ended in a decision. All but one have been high-level submissions, confirming grappling is his predominant game (the other, his debut, was a first-round KO/TKO). Mulholland’s tricky bottom game was never so apparent against Mike McCoy in Akuma Fighting Championship X after he ended up on his back. From the bottom, he caught his opponent with a beautiful triangle choke, earning him another submission finish.

Mulholland hasn’t cruised his way to the top of the lower leagues. He has seen some adversity in his young career, partly because he has been so active in such a talent-rich pool of competition where he has fought 7 times in the last year. His current amateur record is 7-6-0, however, because of his maturity and attitude he feels this will help shape him into a more complete fighter.

I caught up with Ciaran for a full interview. Here’s what he had to say…

Brad Dalrymple: For people that are not familiar with you, can start by telling me about your beginnings and when and how you started training MMA?

Ciaran Mulholland: I started MMA 3 years ago, I had always watched MMA and had an interested in combat sports but I’d never tried one. One day I decided I would stop watching and started doing. Immediately I knew I had found the right place for me at PHK/Belfast martial arts academy. I loved the first class on the mats and could not wait to get back.

BD: So background-wise, I understand you are a Belfast native. Can you tell me a little about where you are from and your background?

CM: I live in a beautiful city called Belfast, from an area called New Barnsley. It is a working-class community that I love and I am surrounded by great people who have a great attitude, especially when it comes to tough times. As you can imagine my community has come through some dark times in my lifetime, coming out of the troubles and dealing with post-conflict along with social deprivation. I have chosen a life of sport over a life that could have been much different. West Belfast is a district affected by suicide, drugs and anti-social behaviour. I could have chosen a less productive life path, thankfully I have great parents, family and friends that support me. I am lucky to have chosen a sport I love, with people that help develop me and drive me towards my goals. I feel I found this sport at the perfect time in my life. MMA has its ups and downs, but it’s taught me so much about myself and has made me a better person for it. I have always strived to make something of myself. I believe I can do that with this sport.

BD: By the sounds of it MMA has had a great impact on your life in such a positive way. So, moving on to your career, how would you describe your fighting style for anyone that is yet to watch your fights?

CM: Exciting, but improving. At only three years in this sport, I’m always learning and getting better and better. Currently, all my wins come via stoppage or submission. And there’s still much more to come.

BD: At a ripe age of 22, I’m sure you have a lot to accomplish. Looking back over your career up to now, it seems like you fight at both flyweight and bantamweight. Whats happening with this? Are you still experimenting, or is this to simply to give you more fight options?

CM: I think this has been my eagerness to fight. I’ve never had a full camp for a bantamweight fight, they have all been short notice but it is to keep the door open. I think in the future you’ll see me complete a full camp at bantamweight and compete but the flyweight division is currently where I’m most comfortable and definitely the division I’ve got my eye on locking down first.

BD: I feel you could take your pick of either division. I personally think your best performance up to now was the Dylan Ó Donovan fight back in June where you finished him via Guillotine. Do you agree that this is a fight you feel you have found your stride especially in your grappling game?

CM: Yeah, I would probably agree. I feel every fight I’m getting better and this was a fight I just felt really comfortable. The fight against Renato Vidovic, I put on a good performance and my submission game in this fight was high level. It’s just unfortunate the opponent was always able to do enough to get through to the bell. This camp my hand game has improved the most – I can’t wait to show off my improvements in my hometown.

BD: So that brings us on to your next fight. You have a fight coming up in the Cage Warriors Academy Grand Prix on September 8th in your hometown of Belfast against Francis Breen, a hungry prospect out of Next Generation Liverpool. What do you know about your opponent and what preparations are you putting in place?

CM: Aww man I cannot wait for this, it’s been almost 2 years since I’ve fought at home – the place is going to be electric! I know Francis Breen is one of their upcoming young fighters and I expect him to be well drilled and well versed. I know he’s coming over in the hope to steal the show so I expect an exciting, high-paced fight. I will go out there and get the finish but I’m more than prepared for a 3 round war. The Grand Prix is something I wanted, and I have been in camp for this for a while now. Camp has been going great. I’ve great sparring and training partners around me at PHK, especially my main man Patrick McNally, who is also on the bill. I also go to Next Gen [Ballymena] to get in sparring and training with some of the top pros in Northern Ireland, names such as Andy Young and Arnaud dos Santos. I am in a great frame of mind being at home and when I am happy, I cannot be beaten! I will put on a show for my fans, friends and family who come out to watch me – this will not see the judges scorecards.

BD: We will certainly be looking forward to that and hopefully we can catch up post-fight. Last of all, should you win your next bout, where do you aim to be in the next 5 years?

CM: So, September is the semi-final of the Cage Warriors Grand Prix, with the final being in December. The ideal aim is to win both these fights and to be starting 2019 a pro under the Cage Warriors banner. This is something I want as I feel Cage Warriors is the European show to be on. You have seen a lot of good talent there, and there are no easy fights in Cage Warriors. This is why you see guys who go onto the UFC do so well because the standard on Cage Warriors is so high. That’s the dream – Cage Warriors world champion, then UFC world champion.

BD: That’s great, lets hope that comes to fruition and good luck for the fight. Thank you for your time and no doubt we will speak in September.

The semi-finals of the Cage Warriors Academy Grand Prix goes down on September 8th at the Devenish Complex, Finaghy Road North, Belfast. The event poster is below.

Brad Dalrymple

Follow me on Twitter @brad_mmamotion

“So obviously I’ve teased this for a long time now, I might fight again, I might not. And unfortunately, it’s not a fight that I’m announcing. I am going to announce my official retirement from mixed martial arts,” Bisping said.

In light of this latest news lets take a look back at the career of the 39-year old Englishman.

Bisping grew up in Clitheroe, Lancashire. He began training Ju-jitsu at the age of eight, and at the age of 15 he competed as an amateur in Britains first “no holds barred” competition, a precursor to modern MMA, called Knock Down Sport Budo. But at the age of 18, Bisping quit martial arts in order to pursue a normal life and tried to hold down a regular job.

As you probably guessed this did not last long, not even a year after quitting martial arts the Englishman took up boxing, kickboxing, and karate, on the advice of Allan Clarkin – owner of Black Knights Kickboxing gym, who saw the bags of potential that Bisping possessed. “The count” endured a short but successful career in kickboxing, winning the North West Area title then the Pro British light heavyweight kickboxing title. After again, briefly quitting competition in 1998, Bisping made another return to kickboxing to take the Pro British light heavyweight title for a second spell. But all pressures of family and no financial gain from fighting, “The Count” once again stepped away from fighting full time and began regular jobs as an upholsterer, postman, tiler, plasterer, salesman and multiple factory jobs. But none of these jobs felt right for Bisping who then searched for greener pastures in fighting.

Bisping started his pro mixed martial arts in style and in just 18 months he gained a 10-0 pro record, became the Cage Warriors light heavyweight champion, and successfully defended his belt five times. In his 10 fight win streak, Bisping won six fights by knockout and four by submission. No other Englishman was surrounded with so much hype in mixed martial arts, and everybody was excited to see what was next for “The Count”.

Bisping got called up to take part in season three of The Ultimate Fighter, three straight finishes and the Englishman was crowned the winner of the series in the light heavyweight division. Bisping was now in the UFC, the dream was becoming real. “The Count” won his next three fights before losing a controversial split decision to Rashad Evans. Many MMA experts said they thought Bisping was too small to fight in the 205lb division, so with the support of Dana White, the Brit moved down to the middleweight division.

Bisping started off strong at 185lbs and won three straight fights – defeating Charles McCarthy, Jason Day and Chris Leben before losing to Dan Henderson in a title eliminator fight. Bisping followed this up with a fight of the night performance over Denis Kang before fighting and losing to Wanderlei Silva. Bisping then won four straight wins over Dan Miller, Yoshihiro Akiyama, Jorge Rivera and Jason Miller but then lost to Chael Sonnen in another title eliminator. Bisping kept getting so close to a title shot, so close to his dream coming true, but losing the key fight before a title shot it seemed this would be the story of Bisping’s career. Bisping went 3-3 on his next 6 fights, beating Brian Stann, Alan Belcher and Cung Le and losing to Vitor Belfort (where Bisping sustained his initial eye injury) Tim Kennedy and Luke Rockhold.

Bisping sitting on a 25-7 record and struggling to procure any sort of win streak knew he had to change something if he was going to fulfil his destiny of lifting the UFC belt he so heavily desired. “The Count” fought C.B Dollaway and beat him convincingly, then he went on to beat Thales Leites. Bisping then fought former UFC middleweight king Anderson Silva. Bisping was hungry for this fight and dreamed of fighting the Brazilian mastermind for many years and the Brit beat him too on English Soil despite a flying knee which exploded Bispings face at the end of the third round. Then while on set filming a movie, Bisping got the call he had always dreamt of, Chris Weidman was injured and was unable to fight the champion, Luke Rockhold. So without a second thought, Bisping accepted the fight on only 17 days notice. He immediately flew home and began training and cutting the necessary weight to meet the 185lb weight limit for title contention.

At UFC 199, Bisping got his shot at the belt and revenge over Luke Rockhold who had beaten him just 14 months prior. Rockhold seemed arrogant and did not respect the presence and power that Bisping possessed. In the first round “The Count” landed a hook over Rockhold’s shoulder which dropped him, every Brit that stayed up past 4AM was up off their seat as Rockhold scrambled back to his feet, but Bisping landed yet another hook before landing three final strikes to the face of the American and the ref stopped the fight. Bisping had done it, all the blood, sweat, and tears were worth it. Michael Bisping was the UFC middleweight champion of the world!

Bisping defended his belt and got a rematch with Dan Henderson at UFC 204 in Manchester and Bisping emerged victorious from that fight, but later lost the belt to Georges Saint Pierre at UFC 217. Just three weeks later Bisping stepped in at short notice to fight the young and hungry Kelvin Gastelum but Bisping didn’t seem himself as he gained another loss.

But now Bisping has retired we can all look back and admire the career he has had. Bisping will always be remembered as a warrior and his legacy will always be talked about around the UFC. A place on the Hall of Fame surely awaits the 39-year-old, but this is not the last we will see of “The Count”. He is still ever present on the UFC shows and his face will pop up more and more in Hollywood movies as time goes on.

Thanks for the funny lines, rivalries and great fights Michael!

Ryan Cambridge

Pennington grew up in Colorado Springs playing sports such as basketball and volleyball but felt as if she always wanted to box. She graduated from Harrison High School in 2007 as secretary of the National Honors Society, with loads of athletic and academic scholarships. But she never got to take part in any sports on a collegiate level due to a broken back.

At the age of 19, Pennington began training in martial arts, and despite her family not wanting her to fight, “Rocky” started fighting as an amateur in 2009. In just two years Pennington fought eight times and winning seven, with five of them victories coming by decision. She turned pro and won her first fight by TKO in 2012, but just three months later lost a split decision to Tori Adams before being signed by Invicta FC.

“Rocky” started off well at Invicta FC, gaining two straight victories over Sarah Moras and Raquel Pa’aluhi before losing her next two fights to Cat Zingano and Leslie Smith. What was next for Pennington was unclear, but she was adamant in her desires to one day conquer women’s MMA. The Ultimate Fighter was to be the next journey for Pennington.

“Rocky” defeated Tonya Evinger and Jessamyn Duke before damaging her hand. She still fought with her injury but lost a unanimous decision to former boxing champion Jessica Rakoczy. Despite being injured, the semi-final fight was made the fight of the season, so both “Rocky” and Rakoczy enjoyed the bonus given for their outstanding performance.

Pennington made her UFC debut in The Ultimate Fighter finale against teammate Roxanne Modafferi which she won by decision. She then lost by decision to Jessica Andrade. Pennington then choked out Ashlee Evans-Smith before losing to former champion Holly Holm by decision. But then something clicked for “Rocky“, she would go on the biggest win streak of her career which would lead to her title shot.

Pennington got a rematch with Jessica Andrade and she submitted her with ease, then followed that up with impressive decision victories over Bethe Correira and Elizabeth Phillips. But “Rocky” was not done there, she beat former champion Meisha Tate by decision and this really stamped her authority in the women’s bantamweight division and now she faces her toughest test yet.

After being away for a year and a half with injuries including a broken leg, Pennington will return to face the champion, Amanda Nunes. Both fighters are known for their boxing and Pennington can keep up with anyone on the feet earning her nickname “Rocky“. But don’t sleep on her ability to take the fight to the floor, she can tap out anyone on her day which makes her a formidable opponent for anyone and a very tough challenge for the Brazilian champion Nunes.

Ryan Cambridge

Growing up, Wassmer always found himself in trouble, getting into constant fights and moving from school to school. His parents were growing concerned, they moved around the united states and Wassmer never felt at home anywhere, as trouble seemed to follow him regardless of where he was living. When “Ricky Scraps” was 15, he was living in the Bronx, a fun party with his Uncle turned into hell when they both got shot. Staring down the barrel of a gun which could have ended his life ironically was the beginning of Wassmer’s life.

After the traumatic experience, Wassmer moved back to California, got himself a little job and got back into school. A roommate convinced him to join a gym and “Ricky Scraps” was born. He became addicted to training and improving. After a little while of training, Wassmer had his first amateur fight, which went against him, but it fueled the fire to improve and become a more complete fighter. After a rollercoaster of ups and downs in an amateur career, Wassmer and his coach sat down and made the decision to go pro, and to completely dedicate his life to mixed martial arts.

Wassmer had his first pro fight for Gladiator challenge, he won that fight by knockout and won his next two fights by submission, before being signed by Combate Americas. A first-round submission victory in his debut against Ramon Cruz woke up the division, there was a new guy in town and he was here to stay.

“Ricky Scraps” lost his next fight in a tight split decision, but followed that up with two successive victories over Heber Castillo and Freddy Arteaga. In his last fight, Wassmer got caught in a submission and lost, but he is back more hungry and more improved than ever to take over the flyweight division at Combate Americas.

So there you have it, the transition from looking down the barrel of a gun to fighting professional mixed martial arts. Its cliche but in this case very true, MMA saved “Ricky Scraps” life. Make sure wherever you are on April 13th you’re watching this warrior lay down the law inside the cage!

Ryan Cambridge

Born and raised in L.A, life was never easy for Gibson. His parents split when he was only a toddler, which must have been a struggle for his mum bringing up Chase, his older brother, his twin brother and two half-brothers. Gibson and his twin would fight on a daily basis and he started to seek the thrill of adrenaline he found in being mischievous – stealing cigarettes and beers, fighting, breaking windows and causing havoc, all fed the craving for adrenaline for Chase. At around 12-years-old, curious Gibson started developing problems with drugs and alcohol. Losing interest in all things good in his life and solely focused on how and when he would next get high. This led to Gibson getting arrested multiple times for theft, getting kicked out school and the young boy found himself in juvenile prison. Between the ages of 13 and 20, Gibson was in and out of jail, rehabs, group housing and mental hospitals but he was an addict unwilling to change, so the system was a waste of time on the youngster who was relapsing, committing crimes and still getting high at every opportunity. Life was bleak for Gibson, but there was only one person who could change all this, himself.

Gibson found inspiration in his twin brother, who was sober and training muay thai and was fighting as an amateur. So “El Guero” started training too and become sober and maintained his focus solely on muay thai and becoming a better fighter. Finally his addictive personality was being drawn into something productive. After three months of training, he took his first amateur muay thai fight, which Gibson won, although he gassed himself out in the first round which left him hungry to improve. Only three months later Gibson entered an eight-man tournament out of his weight class. This ended badly as an overhand fight sent the American out cold, not the birthday present his Mother had hoped for, seeing her son flat out on the canvass. Gibson was then put in a fight to lose against a tough undefeated fighter, once again he got knocked out, this lead to him doubting himself and another drug relapse wasn’t far after, but this time it was heroin.

Gibson pulled himself sober again after seeing his brother turn pro. as a fighter in muay thai. He saw what his life could be like if he dedicated his time to training rather than chasing the dragon. So that’s what he did, he dedicated his life to his girlfriend, becoming a better fighter – losing another fight was “a test from God” to see just how dedicated Gibson was. Persistence paid off as he won his next fight and then started training Brazilian jiu-jitsu to become a mixed martial artist. Not long after starting to train, Gibson wins his first amateur MMA fight in dominant fashion and went on a seven-fight win streak in MMA and muay thai. Everything was beginning to click into place for the American who was having the best time of his life. He won a couple more of fights before turning pro. in 2014.

KOTC was the first organisation to sign Gibson up as a pro. and after winning his first fight with a great submission over David Hernandez, he lost his next two fights by decision. This made “El Guero” question everything including his team and his training, but his commitment to becoming a great MMA fighter was never in doubt. Gibson then signed for CFX. A quick first-round submission win over AJ Bryant gave Gibson the kickstart he needed. Next fight, boom! a head kick KO over Fard Muhammad. Then, Gibson got married to the lady who had been by his side throughout everything, and then won his next fight over Adam Calderon.

“El Guero” had earnt his title shot against a tough Russian featherweight in Serob Minasyan. Gibson managed to utilise his slick ground game to emerge victorious over the Russian powerhouse, and the American had won his first belt. Gibson defended his belt against Jeff Martin and won via knockout in the first round due to his superior ground and pound. Since then, Gibson and his Wife have had their first child, a baby girl called Sofia. The birth of his first child has only spurred Gibson on more to improve and provide for his family.

So now with a five-fight win streak, Gibson is eager to get back in the cage and continue his mixed martial arts journey. All eyes will be on Gibson making his Combate Americas debut in search of his sixth straight win. If you enjoy flashing K.Os, suffocating Brazilian Jiu-jitsu and Gracie standard submissions there’s only one place you will be on April 13th, and that’s watching Chase Gibson bounce his next victims head off of the canvass in spectacular fashion!

Ryan Cambridge

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Albini began boxing training at the age of 13 to lose weight as he was 350lbs (25 stone) and as they say, the rest is history. Also, in this time, Albini was training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, all things that have helped the 26-year-old become the cultivated fighter he is today. In an interview with MMAJunkie, Albini said: ““I started boxing at age 13. I took up boxing because I weighed 165 kilograms (364 pounds). I had morbid obesity. I needed physical activity to lose weight and improve my health. I boxed for about a year. At 14 years old, I started jiu-jitsu, and I stayed active in both while still going to school. At age 18, I (turned pro). Now, after eight years, I’m in the UFC. My initial goal was just to lose weight, but I ended up enjoying fighting, and I stuck with it. There was no long-term plan.”

Making his professional debut in 2009 against the wishes of his family, Baby proved his boxing training had paid off with a knockout victory over Bruno Alboitt. Albini then showed his Jiu-Jitsu off with his second victory over Marcos Vinicius where it was a triangle choke that gifted the win to the Brazilian. Albini won his next two fights against Everton Panda and Fernando Tressino. Sitting pretty on a 4-0 record the BJJ brown belt lost two fights on the bounce, both by submission to Nelson Jaca and Alberto Emiliano. Albini found his fire again and won his next two fights, another triangle choke victory and a decision victory over Julio Bizzarri and Alison Vicente. With a 6-2 record, Albini found his home with Aspera FC. Albini stockpiled a nine-fight win streak and became the heavyweight champion before being signed with the UFC and giving in his Aspera FC strap.

Fighting for free was now over for Albini, 15 fights without earning a penny was a struggle for the Brazilian and his family. In an interview with A.G Fight, he said: “It was all a big sacrifice”. Albini spoke about the last few years when he worked as a waiter on the weekends, earning just enough money to scrape by. “I would say ‘one more year.’ I borrowed [money] and believed in the dream. My wife always supported me and believed that I would get [to the UFC]. It went like this for four years, I was cutting back everything in order to be able to live under the minimum conditions that allowed me to eat well. When my wife became pregnant, the situation became more difficult. But then when [my daughter] started walking and she was ten months old, that was when it became even more difficult. It was rough for [my wife] because she feared to be harming her childhood and never be able to get her things she could have had. This last year was more difficult when [my daughter] started talking and I thought about quitting almost every day.”

Slick submissions, a legit wrestling game and merciless knockout power were all tools Albini had in his arsenal. But for his first opponent Tim Johnson, Albini’s abilities were a complete mystery as there is virtually no videos of the Brazilian’s aforementioned fights. This bowed well for the hard hitter as it only took three minutes for Johnson to feel the wrath from Albini as he won his first fight in MMA’s greatest proving ground via TKO. A 50k bonus changed Albini’s life “With this financial part [fixed for now], I can focus on the training.” Albini said, “I will try to keep the same pattern as before, but with more quality of life and tranquillity, both for my daughter and my wife.” Even during the week before he banked the bonus though, Albini had to make things work with the money the UFC gave him for fight week. Instead of only food, the 26-year-old decided to also spend the money on toys for his daughter for the first time. “Actually, I bought dolls with the food money that the UFC gives us to spend on groceries during the week”, said Albini. “I went out to buy things and I ended up seeing the dolls, because here in Brazil it’s very expensive, and I bought it for my daughter with that money. I want to give the best for them, but I also don’t want to exaggerate it. I want to try to keep a good standard but save as much as I can. I’m new and I believe I can get some things done [in the UFC]. I don’t want to touch a big part of the money, I want to save it.”

Just four months later, Albini faced his toughest test yet in former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski. Albini gave it his all, he fell into the trap of head hunting and was trying to knock out the former champ in the first round. When this failed, Albini did not seem to have a plan b. The fight went to the judges and the Brazilian saved Arlovski the embarrassment of a sixth straight loss with a poor performance. “I believe that I believed too much in his recent history and what people was telling me,” he told MMA Fighting. “People said I would knock him out easily, that he would go down with the power of my hands, and that didn’t happen. I fought to knock him out and he fought to win, and his plan worked.” Looking back, Albini says that taking this fight less than four months after his debut wasn’t the smart thing to do. He said “yes” when offered this fight by the UFC because “Arlovski was at the end of his career, so I felt it was an obligation take the fight because it was a good opportunity, but taking fights back-to-back was mentally tiring.”

Following this defeat, Albini has expressed his desire to join American Top Team and become a much greater mixed martial artist. At the age of 26, the BJJ brown belt really does have the ambition and potential to go far in the UFC and ATT will be able to help him achieve just that. With Fabricio Werdum, Jose Aldo and Renan Barao all coming to the back end of their careers Brazil is looking for someone to carry the torch for the country. I think Albini could do just that on his path to becoming the baddest man on the planet!

Ryan Cambridge