vale tudo event - millenium brawl 5, vale tudo event: Submission Fighting UK report

Foreword

It's been a great year for MMA in the UK, and a great year for promoter Andy Jardine who ended the UK MMA calendar by hosting the fifth in his Millenium Brawl series.

Jardine has a thing about UK Fighters being under-rated. He firmly believes that we've got fighters that can compete with the best the rest of the world can offer. He's been testing his theory by importing fighters from the States, France & Sweden .....and so far, the UK has done very well.

MB5 was the smallest MB event of 2001. Many 'name' fighters, crowd favourites - including, Michael Johnson, and Neil McLeod had pulled out. Plus the headlining, Tim Lacjeck had dropped out due to injury, which meant instead of a planned 10 fights, we got seven. With the fighters' being on ticket deals, it meant less tickets were sold and the venue wasn't heaving as usual.

Losing Lacjeck (due to shoulder injury) had been the biggest blow, not just because it deprived the UK of probably the best fighter we've had compete here, but also because it jeopardised the return of James Zikic.

Zikic, ABA London Champ, European Pro Pancrase title holder, Superbrawl winner and member of Team (Frank) Shamrock is widely touted as pound-for-pound the best fighter in the UK today. James had retired earlier in the year, citing conflicts between his chosen sport and religion. He had retired with one unfulfilled ambition - to win the UFC. For whatever reason, Zikic was back and Jardine had planned to throw him back in at the deep end.

Losing some fighters before an event is pretty much an odds on certainty. Losing a load of fighters including your 'headline' fighter really is a test of the promoter's mettle. Jardine came up with the goods - Tim Lacjeck , was replaced by the awesome Rikard Anderson, who has the reputation of being possibly the top grappler in europe. Zikic, if not being tossed out of the frying pan into the fire, was certainly being tossed back in the pan!

So, as it turned out, MB5 was a top event. Both the UK v USA fights were fantastic - Mark Weir v Ben Earwood's in particular was something of an epiphany to many of us. And then there was the double KO....

FIGHT REPORT

Gaz Roriston (London Shootfighters /Peacocks) v Lee Doski

eat uppercut!

Doski (black shorts) lands an uppercut on Roriston

Roriston come out kicking. High, then low. They clinch and Gaz starts working with the knees. Doski jumps into guard and drags them both to the canvas, where the action is stalemated, until the ref, Phil Norman, stands them back up. It's straight back into the clinch with Roriston the more aggressive and Doski defending the knee shots well and giving a few in return.
Gaz breaks and unleashes a flurry of punches, forcing Doski to clinch and jump to guard again, stalemates till the end of the round.

R2 - Both fighters come out throwing leather. Roriston lands a solid right round kick to the head, much to the crowds' delight. They clinch again and exchange knees and uppercuts. It's pretty even. As they break, Gaz throws another head kick, but before his leg has returned to the ground, the ref takes him to his corner.
There's blood coming out of Roriston's mouth, probably after eating the uppercut in the video still above. Gaz is given the OK by Phil Norman, but as he crosses back to the ring, Phil notices a cut above Roski's right eye. After a quick check by the medic, it's all over. Roriston wins by stoppage from a cut.

Gaz Roriston - "I want to fight Chris Milward. I feel that I've been his journeyman. After he beat me (a fight which I felt I should have one), I was the launchpad to his success. Now I want to claim that back."

Dave Mclaughlin (Cambridge) v Ricky Moore (Fairholme VT)

mclaughlin the most hard to spell name in UK MMA

'Dangerous Dave' controls the mount.

Dave Mclaughlin is one of the most experienced and knowledgeable men in UK MMA. He totally outclassed and dominated the young Ricky Moore. Taking Moore down, passing guard and mounting him without much trouble. Mclaughlin rains down punches and works for the amrbar which he missed and Ricky Moore rolls and tries for a leglock. Dave escapes and works back into Moore's guard until both are stood up by Phil Norman.

Mclaughlin gets the takedown and passed guard into mount. Again he works for the armbar and this time he gets it. Easy win for Mclaughlin and great experience for Moore. Mclaughlin must be one of the best fighters at -71kg in the country. Can we see him versus Batten, McLeod, Salhan or Remedios next time Andy?

Danny Batten (SSJ) v Cedric Stewart (USA)

say hi to Mr Hook

Batten (left) & Stewart work the clinch

Lee Hasdell's ShinSen Jutsu star, Danny Batten faced off a very powerful looking Cedric Stewart - brought over here by top US promoter/manager, Monte Cox.

R1 and Stewart dominates. A lot stronger, he man-handled Batten to the canvas where he worked punches from within Danny's guard. Batten is lightening quick and seems to specialise in pulling armbars out of nowhere. But he was nailed to the mat by Stewart who didn't look like he was ever going to get suckered into an armbar.
After a couple of minutes of guard play, Stewart stood up. Batten defended from the ground until the ref stood him up as well. Stewart comes out throwing heavy shots and Batten replies with a couple a kicks and punches. Stewart drags Danny to the ground and again works inside the guard, throwing some heavy body punches. Danny tries an armbar but Stewart slips out easily. They are brought back to standing. Danny comes out jabbing, ducks under Stewarts hands and gets a double leg takedown right on the bell.

R2 - Bam! First punch - Steward nails a right cross on Batten's face. Batten smiles, and wiggles his head, egging Steward on. OK, thinks Cedric and nails a left uppercut - right cross combo, although Batten looks unimpressed. Steward is beating Batten to the punch. Batten tries a round kick to the head, misses and before he recovers, Steward shoots in for the takedown and gets it. Batten is just so fast, and almost spins and gets Cedric's back, but he's muscled down and settles for guard. Nothing much happens so Phil Norman stands them back up.
This time, Batten lets loose a high round kick that slaps Steward on his jaw. Batten follows in with a big right cross. They clinch and this time Batten lands on top but right into a keylock. Steward has the keylock on hard and it's looking bleak for Batten until Batten pulls off the best escape of MB5 - he slips his legs out of Cedric's hooks and rolls forward, out of the keylock and pivots as he lands to get Stewart into open guard and into a triangle attempt. The crowd explodes with applause and whistles, they know great skill when they see it. Whether buoyed by the crowd or not, Danny is getting stronger as the fight draws on and tries numerous armbar attempts from the open guard until the bell rings for the end of round 2.

R3 - The crowd is really pumped up. Steward scores another takedown and lands in Batten's guard, but he's tiring. In the earlier rounds he pinned Batten to the mat, but this time Danny sits up and reverses to get side control. He tries to pass guard, gets halfway with Steward trying to recover, until finally Batten gets the mount. Batten rides him, throwing a few punches, looking for the armbar, but they're both stood up again by the ref. Batten comes across the ring and lands a couple of high kicks and looping hook, before they clinch in the corner. They hang in there for ages, and when they finally break, Steward scores a right cross before being countered by several kicks, including a showboating spinning attempt by his opponent. They clinch, tumble over onto the mat when the bell rings for the final time.

The ref, Phil Norman, raises both fighters' hands for a well earned draw. Great fight.

Danny Brennan (Fairholme VT) v Paddy Dirkin (Liverpool)

Dirkin was treated to the Spanish national dish - Patella *groan*

The knee that knocked Dirkin down

Babyfaced Danny Brennan must have been on the 'Jon Man Mountain Thorpe' diet. Usually known as 'the tallest 75kg man on the planet", Brennan shows up looking like a mini 'Man Mountain'. Dirkin on the other hand comes out of his corner with the kind of look of religious mentalist you meet on the tude in London. Un-nerving.

Dirkin has his hands down low in an american peek-a-boo boxing style and immediately lands a good left hook. This rocks Brennan and Dirkin takes the oppotunity improvise a hip throw and get the takedown. They land with Dirkin in Brennan's guard. Where the action is largely stalled apart from a keylock attempt by Brennan. Finally the ref stand them up.
Brennan comes out low kicking, whilst Dirkin, still holding his hands in a DeNiro "you lookin' at me?" style, picks off a few good counter punches. They clinch from standing and Dirkin is content to work at body punches, whilst Brennan, getting a thai clinch, starts to ram in the knees. They break and Dirkin eggs Brennan forward. Brennan gives him a nice low kick for being so cheeky. Dirkin's throwing hooks again, but Brennan's bobbing and weaving and none of them connect. Brennan stalks Dirkin till they clinch near the ropes, and then in goes a knee, then another. The second one fells Dirkin who falls to the canvas on all fours. Brennan swiftly spins round, takes the back, sinks his hooks and finishes with a rear naked choke.

Brennan is a natural at this. We've said this before haven't we? Keep an eye on him.

MB 5 Report Part 2