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Cage Control 1 - The Beginning: Review
19 Jun 2010
By Ben Cartlidge
There’s something amazing about a debut show, as the energy and anticipation from all involved is so tangible. Cage Control 1 was the first promotion from local gym Spartan MMA and the anticipation was clearly high. The profile of the evening was boosted by the appearance of UFC fighters Ross Pointon, Paul Taylor and Paul Kelly and the Warehouse Nightclub in Shrewsbury was a fantastic, intimate venue for a great night of fights.
Amateur Bout Welterweight
William Hopcroft vs. Alister Hawke
The first of the Spartan representatives, Alister Hawke, was greeted with riotous applause as he made his way to the cage in the opening contest of the evening. It was a lively opening bout which saw Hawke come out aggressively, but he was unable to make his shots count early on. The gulf in grappling talent became apparent when Hopcroft was able to secure a good takedown and he went on to rotate beautifully through the positions before taking his opponent’s back and securing a clinical rear naked choke that left Hawke with no options but to tap out.
Semi Pro Bout Heavyweight
Darren Williamson vs. Paul Bennett
Both Williamson and Bennett came out swinging for the fences and the crowd soon warmed to the slugfest that followed. It was the bigger Williamson who looked the better striker, however, as he mixed in some vicious looking leg kicks at the end of his combinations. Bennett showed a good chin and was able to get up when the fight hit the floor but Williamson was undaunted by this and continued with the barrage of strikes. It seemed a matter of time before Williamson landed the big shot he needed and, sure enough, it was a thudding leg kick in the very first round that sent Bennett spinning to the floor in defeat.
Semi Pro Bout Flyweight
Jess Offermanns vs. Cheryl Flynn
The next Spartan to enter the fray was Jess Offermanns but she appeared to have her hands full from the outset with the disciplined striking of Cheryl Flynn. Offermanns showed incredible heart and resilience but too often was on the wrong end of the striking exchanges as her foe countered with punches in bunches. Flynn was dominating the fight but Jess came out in the second round with fire in her eyes and timed a beautiful single leg takedown underneath a looping punch. Flynn was able to stand back up but Offermanns now had the blueprint to victory and with each takedown it was clear that her confidence grew. The second round was drawing to a close when Jess was able to make the most of her positioning and pulled off a beautiful armbar which forced the tap. It was an amazing turnaround victory which shows just how fast a fight can change around and it also earned Offermanns the submission of the night.
Semi Pro Bout Lightweight
Seamus O’Flaherty vs. Jason Brooksbank
The last fight was clearly a tough act to follow but Seamus O’Flaherty was undaunted by the occasion as he displayed some of the most technical striking of the entire evening. He picked Jason Brooksbank apart with a laser jab and was not afraid to open up with combinations when he had the opportunity. The result looked like an inevitability but Brooksbank did well in initiating a takedown to try and slow his foe down. Jason worked relentlessly from this position as he tried to take his man to the deck but in the end Seamus did well to create the space and avoid the takedown. Once the two separated Brooksbank came gamely forward but after one huge leg kick from O’Flaherty, the fight was taken clean out of his opponent and the referee intervened for an impressive TKO win.
Semi Pro Bout Lightweight
Joe Rice vs. Nicky Bradley
Both Rice and Bradley showed diverse skills in what became a very compelling match. Local favourite Bradley looked strong standing up and found a home for a few good strikes but Rice showed a good chin and bulldozed his man to the floor. Rice, however, was the busier fighter from the deck and was constantly looking to advance his position and secure submissions. This became the tale of the fight as Rice was able to absorb minimal damage in securing the takedown and made the most of his time on the ground. Bradley slowed down in the later rounds as he became fatigued at the frantic pace set by his opponent. In the end neither man was able to decisively finish but it was the diligent grappling of Rice that earned him a well deserved decision.
Semi Pro Bout Middleweight
Chris Lane vs. Tom Hanlon
Sukata MMA were very well represented at Cage Control and Tom Hanlon showed a very well rounded game in his fight with Chris Lane. Hanlon looked the much rangier fighter and he used the reach to his advantage early on. Lane did the right thing by closing the distance and but ate a leg kick coming in which sent him to the canvas in a hurry. As the fight continued Lane seemed to tire quite quickly and although he landed a big takedown in the second round, was unable to make anything happen from the top. In the end it was the ferocity and the slick grappling of Hanlon that would be the difference maker as he wrapped up a good armbar in the second round for a very impressive victory.
Semi Pro Bout Welterweight
Gareth Burns vs. Nick Greaves
In one of the most intriguing fights on the card it seemed that neither man could maintain any significant advantage for long periods of time. Burns looked the stronger fighter and the more dangerous standing up but Greaves had a very active guard and also some breathtaking sweeps. Both fighters looked to advance positions and made positive moves from top position but neither was able to carve out any distinct advantages. It made for a fantastic back and forth encounter which, although a joy to watch, was clearly a difficult fight to score. In the end the fight went to the scorecards as neither man was able to claim victory within the allotted time. The judges rendered a split decision in favour of Gareth Burns who used a good combination of effective striking and dominant wrestling to shade the victory.
Pro Bout Featherweight
Ant Phillips vs. Nathan Thompson
In the main event of the evening it was Ant Phillips who looked to push the action from the start as he shot underneath his opponents jab to lock up a nice looking double leg takedown. Unfortunately for Phillips he left his neck in a prone position and Thompson locked in a guillotine from the standing position and quickly jumped guard. Phillips looked to power out but it was on too tight and he was clearly angry with himself as he tapped out after just twenty nine seconds of the very first round.
Photo's By Hai Nguyen
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