millenium brawl 3, vale tudo event: Submission Fighting UK report

Under 81kg Sean Cocharin (Fairholme VT) vs Mike Tomlinson (The Colloseum)

A brief exchange of head kicks lead to Tomlinson shooting on Cocharin, who sprawled effectively, taking his back. He landed a couple of shots and tried a rear naked choke but Tomlinson defended well and managed to get onto his back with Cocharin now in side control. Cocharin mounted, landing punches as Tomlinson tried to bridge him off. Forced to keep a low base, cocharin resorted to short strikes from on top. He briefly made space for three or four big hammerfist strikes but almost lost position as a result and dropped low again to maintain his balance. Cocharin managed to land the occasional flurry before getting frustrated and jumping up to his feet and kicking the supine Tomlinson. The ref intervened, giving Cocharin a warning for striking his grounded opponent from a standing position. Restarting from their feet, Tomlinson landed a good low kick before they clinched and exchanged knees. Tomlinson threw a good combination of punches, which seemed to rock Cocharin who clinched again. Recovering his composure Cocharin took Tomlinson down with a twisting throw. Tomlinson seemed to injure his ankle in the process of hitting the floor where Cocharin took mount and began to administer a fearsome beating. Tomlinson tapped out and limped from the ring in obvious pain, although I question the wisdom of him jumping from the ring apron with only one functional foot to land on.

Under 81kg Gaz Roriston (Fairholme VT) vs Mark Day (Cambridge Thai Boxing)

gaz roriston tries heel hook on mark day

One of the best fights of MB3 - Gaz tries a heel hook attempt on Mark Day

Day opened with punches and Roriston shot underneath only for Day to sprawl and bring them up into a standing clinch. They traded knees to the body and head before Day tried a hip throw, which Roriston blocked, countering with a suplex. Roriston quickly took Dayâs back but Day fought his way around and achieved guard. Gaz began to throw from in Dayâs guard, landing some clean shots while Day threw punches of his own from the bottom. Roriston managed to break Dayâs legs open and move to half guard, eventually passing this by punching Dayâs leg and sliding his own knee through. He briefly took Dayâs back again but Day rolled spectacularly, forcing Gaz to resort to guard himself. Good from this position Roriston quickly slapped on an armbar but Day managed to pick him up and slam him to break the hold. Day landed some punches from inside the guard, standing to achieve more leverage but Gaz managed to avoid copping serious leather by kicking him in the face and coming up to double leg. Day went down briefly but belatedly sprawled and took a clinch, kneeing Gaz in the head a couple of times before Gaz switched a single and took Day onto his back. Gaz threw punches form in Dayâs guard but Day managed to push the arm across and take a side choke on Roriston. He swept Gaz over to the mount and held the position for some time before releasing the hold which was obviously not on properly. Retaining the mount Day looked for space to land strikes but gave Gaz an opportunity for a reversal, which he took and began to land heavy blows from within Dayâs guard for the brief remainder of the round.

The second round opened with more punches from Day, Gaz ducking under and clinching. Taking double under hooks, Gaz landed some knees while pressuring Day back into the ropes. Day threw knees of his own before flopping to guard. Gaz landed flurries of shots from here. Day also continued punching from his back before eventually attempting a triangle. Roriston saw it coming and quickly got both arms out, flipping Day over. Gaz went to Dayâs back but Day rolled him again ending up in Gazâs guard. Gaz attempted another armbar but Day blocked it. Gaz also attempted a keylock, which failed. Day briefly came up onto one knee and landed some nice, heavy punches. He tried it again a bit later on but Gaz replied with a storm of blows from his back. Sensing Day was off balance, Gaz sat up and pushed Mark onto his back, forcing him to go to his own guard. Gaz landed a good punch and Day attempted a triangle, which he couldnât quite close. He did however take advatange of the position to land a few clean shots to Roristonâs face. Gaz managed to pass guard but the bell went before he could capitalise.

Roriston came out in the third round with a kick flush to Dayâs head. Day clinched, obviously shaken, and threw a knee, sprawling as Gaz shot for his legs. Day held a headlock on Gaz with both fighters on their knees. They separated as Roristonâs glove came loose. Back from standing Gaz landed some good punches and a body kick, Mark replying with a solid hook. From the clinch, Day landed two knees clean to Roristonâs head but as he tried to throw fell to his back. Gaz seized the chance to work on Dayâs leg and tried a heel hook. He lost it but managed to kick Day in the head and attempted the hold again. This time Day came over the top and into Roristonâs guard. Both fighters were extremely tired at this point but Gaz managed to reverse their positions. From in Dayâs guard he hit on the idea of covering Markâs face with one hand, to obscure his vision and then whipping it away just in time for a big hammerfist to land. He repeated this four or five times before his glove came off and they restarted from standing. Roriston shot a single but lost it and falling to his back kicked Day in the leg. Day kicked at Roristonâs legs from standing while Gaz did the same from his back. Roriston sat up and doubled Day who flopped to his guard. Roriston threw a few tired punches to see out the round.

With no decisions, the fight was declared a draw. Day seemed relatively unmarked despite the punishment he had received whereas Roriston had accrued some considerable soft tissue damage but nothing substantial.

Under 76 kg Danny Brennan (Fairholme VT) vs Paul Ramsdale (The Colloseum)

danny brennan armbars paul ramsdale

A return to the ring for Brennan and a quick armbar in R2

Ramsdale shot straight away, Brennan sprawling away from his single leg and taking his back. Ramsdale ate one shot from here before turning Brennan over and putting him on his back. Brennan closed his guard and appeared to be looking for an armbar. Eventually he swept Ramsdale taking, the mount but Ramsdale quickly reversed the position returning Brennan to guard. Brennan attempted an armbar but Ramdsdale slipped it and passed his legs. They rolled into the ropes, Brennan taking side control, but not capitalising on it. Ramsdale almost gave up his back but managed to force his way into Brennanâs guard. From here Ramsdale threw a couple of shots. He used forearm pressure well to set up his shots but few had much effect on Brennan who looked comfortable. Brennan tried to work around to Ramsdaleâs back but Paul defended well. Afetr holding Ramsdale in his guard for some time, Brennan spun out for another armbar. This time he got it cleanly but as he was applying the submission the bell went, ending the round.

Ramsdale came out with some obvious kicks, which Brennan blocked. Brennan threw a heavy kick of his own but got taken down off it. He attempted a shoulder lock from his guard but Ramsdale pushed him back down. Brennan launched a third armbar attempt and took it cleanly. With no bell to save him this time, Ramsdale was forced to tap.

Under 71 kg Keiron McIntee (Bacon Budo) vs Danny Fletcher (Pancrase)

McIntee threw a couple of punches and a kick at Fletcher. Fletcher evaded but looked reticent with his own offence. McIntee closed again with punches, this time Fletcher clinched and hooked the leg for a takedown, landing in Kieronâs guard. Kieron began a protracted attempt to guillotine Fletcher, who escaped the hold and punching Kieron in the ribs repeatedly, passed to half guard. Fletcher spun around to take a knee bar but McIntee saw it coming and countered. Both fighters rolled into the ropes and were stood up by the ref. Fletcher opened with a solid low kick, only for McIntee to reply with a head kick and clinch. Fletcher shot, McIntee sprawled but Danny turned him over ending up in Kieronâs guard. Fletcher threw shots into the ribs of McIntee until the end of the round.

Round 2 saw more of the same, Fletcherâs takedown put him in McInteeâs guard. Fletcher managed to land the occasional shot into McInteeâs ribs. Mostly, Kieron held on tight, preventing Fletcher from attacking him. Fletcher did briefly pass guard but was quickly returned. Other than this they remained as McIntee on his back with Fletcher in his guard. As McIntee walked back to his corner at the end of the round his ribs on the left side were showing red where they had been beaten on by Fletcher.

The third round started with an exchange of right crosses. Fletcher followed up with a couple of low kicks and a high kick, which narrowly missed. McIntee tried an axe kick, which was well wide of the mark. He then managed to keep Fletcher at a distance with jabs and kicks to the body. Closing, McIntee landed a clean hook. Fletcher ducked under further punches and shot a double leg. He picked Kieron clear off the mat and slammed him on his back only to land in McInteeâs guard as he followed him down. More non-action followed. So much so that a leg lock battle broke while I was not paying attention. It was inconclusive and led to both fighters returning to standing. They were both exhausted, hands low, breathing hard. McIntee threw a half heated high roundhouse kick. Fletcher drifted away from it and threw a spinning back hook kick, which came nowhere near. Then the bell sounded, signalling a draw.

Under 85 kg Alex Evans (Fairholme VT) vs Mark Singleton (Yorkshire Kali Academy)

Alex Evans initially threw a low kick, paused and then landed a high kick flush to Singletonâs head. Singleton dropped. Game over. Evans wins by KO in about five seconds.

Part 2 of the MB3 report