WHILE the UFC and Cage Rage sit at the top of the pile when it comes to mixed
martial arts in England, grassroots shows are mushrooming across the country as the sport continues to rocket in popularity.
Middlesbrough Ju Jitsu club
have been promoting their own cards for the last few years as they help fly the MMA flag in the North East, showcasing domestic
and regional talents and overseas fighters of the calibre of Holland-based Polish heavyweight Michael Kita.
And their 10th show broke new
ground at Redcar Bowl as the seaside venue which staged some of the biggest darts events of the 1980s rocked to MMA for the
first time, with just two of the 15 full contact bouts going the distance.
Contests featured two five minute rounds but the judges were left twiddling
their thumbs for most of the night as emerging and novice combatants from all over the UK took matters into their own
hands.
The host club’s Jamie Taylor and Elliott McGlade
provided two of the night’s swiftest and most convincing victories.
Ormesby
welterweight Taylor forced Blackpool’s Lee Livesey to tap out within 20 seconds of their professional rules match after
following up a slam with a volley of unanswered strikes.
Featherweight
Elliott McGlade badly cut and stopped East Yorkshire youngster Joe Wilson in less than two minutes in the first of 10 semi-pro
fights.
Spennymoor’s Brad Cane was not hanging around
either as he submitted Middlesbrough’s Peter Winter after just 17 seconds.
And Dewsbury visitor Paul Durber got the better of a fierce stand-up scrap before producing
a solid short right hand to knock out Middlesbrough Jujitsu’s Matt Thompson with 53 seconds on the clock in the
first round.
The night featured every facet
of mixed martial arts, including ground-based grappling and jujitsu and thai boxing.
Jarrow heavyweight Dave Wilson fought in the main event after refereeing several of the bouts and
celebrated a first round arm lock submission win over Frenchman Pao Zoro, the only overseas competitor on the card.
Wilson had been stopped in the first round of his previous
bout by Zoro's compatriot Akim Assenine at Total Combat 24.
Middlesbrough Jujitsu team-mates Mike Cane and Mike Rutley also provided an exhibition
filler after Cane’s scheduled opponent failed to turn up.
Battleground
11 is set to take place at Redcar Bowl in September.
Amateur
rules: Jordan McMahon (M’bro Ju Jitsu) drew with Sean Earles (CCA H’pool); David Pickard (Spennymoor Lodge Fight
Club) submitted Mike Foreman (E Yorkshire MMA) round one.
Semi-professional
rules: Elliott McGlade (M’bro Ju Jitsu) beat Joe Wilson (E Yorkshire MMA) rsc1; Sirus Ali (M’bro Ju Jitsu) outpointed
James Anderson (True Spirit MMA); Jamie Dewing (M’bro Ju Jitsu) submitted Mark Mullen (Northern Alliance MMA) round
one; Paul Durber (Caged Steel, Dewsbury) beat Matt Thompson (M’bro Ju Jitsu) ko1; Brad Cane (Spennymoor) submitted Peter
Winter (M’bro Ju Jitsu); Darren Hughes (Spennymoor) submitted Craig Widderson (M’bro Ju Jitsu) round one; Leon
Osodje (M’bro Ju Jitsu) beat Adam Rome (Phoenix MMA) rsc1; Liam O’Neil (True Spirit MMA) submitted Rob Hughes
(M’bro Ju Jitsu) round one; Mabsy Alam (True Spirit MMA) submitted Russell Callaghan (Mario Reis BJJ) round two; Jay
Hugill (M’bro Ju Jitsu) beat Dave Sloan (Sherlock MMA) disqualification.
Professional
rules: Jamie Taylor (M’bro Ju Jitsu) submitted Lee Livesey (Musubi MMA) strikes, round one; Rob Davison (Northern Alliance)
beat Gary Innes (CCA H’pool) rsc1; Dave Wilson (Northern Alliance) submitted Pao Zoro (France) round one.
