Cagewarriors 7: Showdown - Final Press Release and Fight Focus 1
The full card subject to change is:
Bout No1 - Mark Chen (3 -4 -0) V Frederick Fernandes (France) (1-0-0) (Featherweight)
Bout No2 Paul Daley V Ressa Moradi (Iran) (K1 rules) (M/W)
Bout No3 Andy Walker (1-4-1) V Hassan Moradi (Iran) (M/W)
Bout No4 Matt Ewing (10-2-1) V Gregory Bouchalegham (M/W Title bout)
Bout No5 Dave Roche V Gavin Bradley (L/W Semi Final Eliminator)
Bout No6 Tengiz Tedoradze V Andy Ryan (H/W Title bout)
Bout No7 Ian "M16" Butlin V Emmanuelle Fernandes (France) (2-0-0) (Featherweight Title bout)
Bout No8 Dave "Speedy" Elliott V Gerald "The finishing Machine" Strebandt (USA) (L/W Semi Final Eliminator)
All fights will take place within the 27ft Cagewarriors Octagon, which made its debut in the summer of 2002 and has been a regular at many other UK events since.
There is less than a week to go until the 7th installment of the Cagewarriors Fighting Championships hits the impressive Barnsley Metrodome in South Yorkshire UK, with what is arguably the best Cagewarriors card yet. The Metrodome is no stranger to top quality fight action as it has previously been home to the coveted ABA boxing finals and will be holding the CWFC for the second time.
So far all the ringside tables has been sold out, however you can still purchase standard tickets which still provides a great view of the action inside of the impressive CWFC octagon by going to www.cagewarriors.com and ordering them now online or phone 07881 552525.in the UK for tickets.
Unlike many other UK events Cagewarriors has implemented a number of changes with it believes will benefits the fans.
1. By having a quality over quantity policy, which benefits both fighters and fans as with fewer fights on the card, the fighters will receive more money and the fans will be seeing a card stacked with higher quality match-ups.
2. Also the CWFC owner Mr Dougie Truman has issued a press release stating that for the first time, fight bonuses will be on offer for those fighters who can win by KO and end the fight early. This brings the CWFC in line with Promotions from the United States and puts the emphases on attack. This will hopefully promote an aggressive fan friendly style of MMA action that a non-hardcore audience will enjoy.
3. The CWFC management has also implemented a revolutionary new ticketing scheme which allows fans to buy tickets from a fighter online through a code unique to their name. For more information on this scheme go to http://www.cagewarriors.com/forums/...p;threadid=7999
We hope this will stop the situation where fighters have to sacrifice training in order to boost their purse by selling tickets to family, friends and others. The CWFC believes this will yet again benefit both fighters and fans alike, whilst making the CWFC a more attractive organisation to fight in.
We hope that these changes will further push the CWFC as one of the elite UK MMA events. Like many other events Cagewarriors 7 has had problems due to injuries, however the final card is still a mouth-watering prospect, with at least 8 top fights featuring three top title fights, and 2 Lightweight Title Eliminators which feature 2 proud Geordies representing the UK and Newcastle against 2 top international opponents.
Fight Focus 1 - Matt Ewing (Champion) Vs Gregory Bouchalegham CWFC Middleweight Title
The 1st CWFC 7 fight focus is all about revenge as CWFC Middleweight champion Matt Ewin, looks to carry on his hot streak that saw him beat some of UK's top 185lbs stars in 2003, and at Cagewarriors 4 in Portsmouth saw him capture the vacant CWFC middleweight title by submitting Ross Pettifer.
Ewin, who holds titles in several other UK promotions, has been on an amazing run of form which saw him beat the likes of Alex Evans, Suley Mahmoud, and Sol Gilbert in 2003. This hot streak was only tempered by the rangy Xavier Foupa-Pokam in November. However he managed to avenge this defeat by surviving a 1st round onslaught at Extreme Brawl 5 in December to seal his spot as 1 of the UK's best 185lbs fighters. So far in 2004 Ewin has continued his fine run of form by beating Gaz Roriston from London Shootfighters in a ground war, via an arm triangle choke in round 2.
However at Cagewarriors 7 Ewin faces his toughest test yet as he tries to avenge the lightening quick defeat of his friend and mentor (former UFC Vet) Mark Weir, who was choked out by Bouchalegham, in under 90 seconds at XFC 2 in November.
Standing at 6ft 2 and weighing in at 185lbs, Bouchalegham means business and is well versed in both striking and in the grappling side of MMA combat. Bouchalegham is a purple belt in BJJ under De la Riva association/David Pierre Louis, and holds a KO win over Ben Dandois at WAFF 2-World Absolute Fight 2 in 16 seconds. I spoke to a member of Bouchalegham's management team who confidently talked up Bouchalegha's chances by stating that "Greg is a world class fighter; even in the UFC no one beat Mark Weir as easily as he did. When he beats Matt Ewin who else is left for him in the UK? We'll have to import American, Japanese or Brazilian fighters for him to defend his belt against"
This fight was originally scheduled for Cagewarriors 6 in March but Ewin pulled out due to injury, which has no doubt only increased his desire to settle a score against the undefeated Frenchman. So will revenge be a dish best swerved cold? Or will this dangerous Frenchman continue the French invasion or the UK Scene by claming yet another UK scalp and claiming yet another UK based Title for France.
Can the Frenchman go to 3-0 in MMA or will the next big British Middleweight hope make a successful 1st defence of his CWFC title and stake his claim as the best Domestic level Middleweight in the Country? On May 9th in the tough industrialised backdrop of Barnsley we will find out who is ready for the next step up.
More info go to www.cagewarriors.com
www.cagewarriors.com/forums
ttt
This is gonna be a bad ass show
Leigh, confident as I am in Emmanuels ability I can't afford to take the risk of losing
Fight Focus 2. The Cagewarriors Lightweight Title Eliminators.
Gavin Bradley vs Dave Roche (Ireland)
Dave "Speedy" Elliott vs Gerald "The finishing Machine" Strebandt (USA)
At Cagewarriors 7: Showdown there will be 2 eliminators for the CWFC Lightweight Title. Fighting in these eliminators are UFC star Gerald Strebandt (Who fights 2 weeks later in London against Jean Silva) and the UK scene biggest secret in Dave Roche. They will battle against two of Newcastle's finest in Gavin Bradley and Dave "Speedy" Elliot in what will be an explosive 4 man tournament spread over 2 shows to decide the new CWFC Lightweight champion.
Since the brackets for the tournament were announced there has been a tremendous war of words between the brash American, Gerald Strebandt and the much talked about Irishman Dave Roche. Both men feel supremely confident and have talked up their chances in not only this tournament but in others bouts as well. Both men have gone as far to place wagers on their results.
However to get to the Promised Land of the CWFC Lightweight Title, both men will have to defeat their respective Geordie opponents, who will be keen to shake off their underdog tag and silence the doubters who wrote off their chances as soon as the brackets were lined up. And I'm sure they also wish to gatecrash and spoil the brewing Stebandt/Roache feud as well.
1st Elminator - Gavin Bradley 3-2-0 vs Dave Roche 2-0-0 (Ireland)
The much hyped Dave Roche finally makes his CWFC debut after a year of hype, pulled out fights and injuries. Roache who holds a win over Paul Ramsdale at Extreme Brawl 3, was originally was scheduled to fight the flashy BJJ Black Belt Jean Silva at Cagewarriors 4 last July, but didn't due to a late pull out by Silva, he was also due to face Welsh Welterweight Paul "Hands of Stone" Jenkins at the first Pride and Glory show in February, but didn't because of Injury. This has been indicative of the luck Roche has had, however a win in mid April at a show in his native Ireland has put him back on the right track.
Roche is trained by the Irish BJJ maestro John Kavanagh who runs SGB Dublin and is well renowned in UK circles as a top BJJ'er who teaches many seminars around the UK and Ireland. Roche is well versed in both stand-up and on the ground and many UK fighters who have trained with him will quickly talk about how tough it can be.
Roche has been highly touted for a long time and will no doubt be eager to prove he is worth the hype against a determined Gavin Bradley, who has already stated his frustration at being written off so early by many UK MMA followers.
Gavin Bradley makes his 4th CWFC appearance and is coming off an impressive 2nd round submission (armbar) win over Marvin Li. Bradley does seem to save his best performances for CWFC and will be eager to show that he is not there to make up the numbers, even if he comes into the fight as the underdog. Bradley who looked very strong in his last appearance in the CWFC octagon, isn't afraid to strike, but has won all of his fights by either submission or decision. Originally scheduled to fight Dean Jones from London Pancrase, he has been given the chance go to for glory and will aim to crash the party in style.
2nd Eliminator- Dave "Speedy" Elliott (4-2-0) vs Gerald "The finishing Machine" Strebandt (USA) 7-3-0
The 2nd CWFC Lightweight Title Eliminator is also the main event of the evening which features popular Geordie native Dave Elliot fighting the UFC 44, KOTC vetern and current Cage Rage Lightweight and XFC Welterweight Champion Gerald "The finishing Machine" Strebandt. Strebandt is making his 3rd appearance in a UK event and will be hoping to go 4-0 here in the UK.
Strebandt will also is aiming to show that he has impressed since his defeat by the hands of Josh "The Punk" Thompson who defeated Strebandt via a ref stoppage. Strebandt displayed some good ground work in that fight and will be determined to win convincingly to get back into the UFC. Strebandt has stressed already on UK website SFUK.net that he does not wish his fight to be stopped by the referee no matter what as a defeat would ruin his chances of returning to the UFC.
Gerald first burst on to the UK scene by defeating Jean Silva for the Cage Rage Lightweight Title in February 2003, winning via rear naked choke in a high tempo match in York Hall, London. He has also defeated Pat Carr in an epic 20 minute battle at XFC 2 in November. Gerald is well versed in many disciplines and trains under the black belt BJJ connoisseur Eddie Bravo
Gerald has also trained extensively in Muay Thai and has been toured Europe conducting seminars as well as training. He is supremely confident and will want to impress to get a shot back in the UFC.
Gerald will also be fired up to win this eliminator with the prospect of facing Dave Roache in the final. Gerald has been hitting the UK based MMA sites issuing numerous challenges and offering bets on the outcome of the fight. Initially this was for his fight with Jean Silva later this month, but he raised the ire of Dave Roche and now they are on a collision course and with the argument continuing on an almost daily basis the tension is only going to get greater. However first Gerald must beat Dave Elliot who like his Geordie compatriot will be eager to prove his not making the numbers up.
Dave "Speedy" Elliot is a UK MMA mainstay and is popular fighter amongst the hardcore UK fan base. Elliot who has a background in kickboxing as well as training in BJJ has previously featured in CWFC 2, 4 and 5 and has beaten former CWFC champ Paul Sutherland at Cage Rage 4 by choke. Elliot was lined up to face top UK fighter and UKMMAC Lightweight champion Robbie Olivier at Cagewarriors 6 which failed to happened due to a last minute hitch. This surely has made Elliot even keener to get back to winning ways after his defeat by Jean Silva at Cagewarriors 5.
This May 9th there is a lot more than just a title shot at stake as 4 men prepare to make it to the top their way. 2 favourites, 2 underdogs, 1 feud and potentially a shot at the big time. To find out who goes 1 step nearer to making it and who falls by the wayside, go to www.cagewarriors.com and order your tickets now.
Or go www.cagewarriors.com/forums on Sunday night (uk time) where the CWFC will be doing a live text play-by-play of the action.
The Cagewarriors Fighting Championships: The Ultimate Full Contact Fighting Sport hits Barsnley this May 9th at Barnsley Metrodome, South Yorkshire, UK.
Don't miss out.
Leigh, I'll make a forfeit bet if you want rather than a financial one.
Screen name or something to that effect.
DROC
Good luck to Gerald Strebendt. I'm sure he will do great.
can we get a pink t shirt in drocs size?
OK
I'll change my screen name on all forums to the name of your choosing if Ian wins and you do the same if Emmanuel wins.
Since your 'established green name' is more valuable I won't bother adding a T shirt stipulation when Emmanuel wins.
Do you want to name the screennames before or after?
DROC
OK, pick a name for me, I'll have to think of one for you.
A month?2? 3?
ttt for cagewarriors
ttt
Does your son not like topless ring girls?
What the hell's wrong with him?
Actually the ring girls are no longer topless, CageWarriors is trying to attract a younger audience and that would not fly.
DROC
they looked good topless though
I would like to concur with the last speakers remarks
cagewarriors starts tonight at 6.30pm (uk time)
play by play can be found at www.cagewarriors.com/forums
you can find the pbp at
http://www.cagewarriors.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=8119
gerald strebandt vs dave elliot taking place now.
http://www.cagewarriors.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=97915#post97915