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Ultimate Challenge MMA: Feel the Pain Review
20 Jun 2010
By Jimmy Page
On Saturday 19th June the Ultimate Challenge promotion returned to the Troxy in East London and put on a varied and entertaining 14-bout fight card.
In the main event, UC heavyweight champion Ben Smith dismantled the challenge of Team Machine’s Darren Towler in only three minutes. As expected, ‘Big’ Ben quickly shot in for a takedown but a sneaky reversal from Towler put him straight into mount position.
(Ben Smith wins his 6th fight in a row)
The Geordie fighter began to rain down some hard punches as Smith twisted and turned. Answering a few questions about his bottom game, Smith exploded off his back and planted Towler in side mount. From there it was one-way traffic as the champion transitioned to rear mount for the choke.
Tsunami fighter, Jack Mason made a return to winning ways as he pressurised and harassed his way to victory over Chris Greig. Mason pushed the pace in the first round, landing a pair of hard right hands and pinning the Team Titan fighter against the fence. However, Greig was able to open a nasty gash under his opponent’s right eye going into the break.
In the second round, Mason pushed his foe back to the cage once again, briefly taking him off his feet with a well-timed knee to the leg, before seizing his opportunity to jump guard with the guillotine choke for the tap.
Jason Ball and Tim Radcliffe went to war in an excellent display of skill and determination. Radcliffe started fast with a series of snappy low kicks, before shooting in for the takedown - Ball was able to stand back up from two takedowns in the first round, but a third kept him on the ground as Radcliffe pounded away with heavy punches.
The Northern fighter had a better second round, consistently beating the Nova Forca representative to the punch and avoiding the ground. However, in the third, Radcliffe was able to land some more painful low kicks and control on the floor to earn a very close fought decision.
(Jason Ball jabs as Tim Radcliffe throws the screw shot)
Djo Lema made a statement as he re-matched with local favourite Scott Jansen under UK-1 rules. Lema literally ran Jansen over, tagging him with a right hand and chasing in, looking for an extra shot before Jansen fell. In the end, it was not needed; dazzled and disorientated, the Londoner failed to make the count, handing victory to Lema.
Former Strongman, Oli Thompson maximised his potential for victory over Ian Hawkins by following a tight, takedown-to-ground-and-pound game. Thompson avoided serious damage in the stand up and attacked methodically on the floor, battering Hawkins into a swollen mess to claim the unanimous decision.
In a UK-1 heavyweight match up, Marcin ‘The Doktor’ Bartkiewicz jumped all over Ashley Pollard and low kicked him out of the game in two minutes. The Doktor issued a bitter prescription as he hammered Pollard with some powerful hooks before slamming in a series of brutal right low kicks.
Very quickly, Pollard looked uncomfortable on his feet, prompting Bartkiewicz to hunt the low kick with immediate success. The MMA Clinic representative gamely attempted to bull-rush his way back into the contest, but his leg gave way and he tumbled to the mat, prompting referee, Grant Waterman, to stop the contest.
Unknown London Shootfighter, ‘Symeon’ made a fine debut as he stepped straight into a rough battle with Richard Griffin under UK-1 rules. Symeon started fast, landing a right knee which put Griffin on the deck, but the Londoner fought back valiantly in the second winning a series of punching exchanges.
(Richard Griffin kicks as Symeon throws down)
The third round was fought predominantly in the clinch, which under UK-1 rules means that the fighters are working at all times; absolutely gruelling stuff. Neither fighter took a backwards step as they went punch for punch – a very close round which led the judges to return a unanimous draw.
In his welterweight clash with Kai Senkan, Harry Shoebridge inadvertently took a leaf out of the Gabriel Gonzaga playbook as he smashed his opponent’s testicles with a hellish low kick. Senkan was in agony, but - roared on by his cornermen - he returned to fight. However, two minutes into the second round it all became too much and Senkan wisely retired from the contest.
Ben Craggy unveiled a vicious new low kicking game in his fight with Earl Brown, who soon found himself on the floor by the fence. Brown attempted to stand up backwards, pushing off the cage with both hands. Craggy wasn’t about to watch his defenceless foe get up at will and sent him to sleep with a straight right hand – the route one path to victory.
(Ben Craggy lands a nasty low kick)
Warren de Reuck landed the hardest body kick of the night as he charged to victory over Simon Carrington. The sickening blow forced Carrington to shoot in, but de Reuck instantly stuffed the takedown and countered with a super-fast series of piston-like punches. An incredible 30-second destruction.
Galore Bosando is a lively character – and an awesomely talented prospect to watch out for. He absolutely terrorised Marcus Artry across three dominant rounds to earn the clear decision win with a violent display of kicks, punches and explosive slams.
At one point, Artry’s corner shouted instructions to help him to escape from side mount. Bosando looked up and them, smiled broadly and snarled: ‘It’s not gonna work. He’s dead meat’, before banging in a volley of concussive hammerfists. It’s a harsh business.
(Chris Grubb lands on Afakasi Sione)
In other action, Karl Lawrence scored a solid decision win over Kes Kpokogri in a scrappy UK-1 fight. Chris Woolcott submitted Ryan Campbell with a rear naked choke after a back and forth ground clash. Chris Grubb demonstrated a gulf in grappling talent between himself and Afakasi Sione en route to a unanimous decision.
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