Archive for November, 2011

'Judo' Jim Wallhead Shaping Up For BAMMA 8

Wallhead vs. Villasenor

© Marc Wickert www.knucklepit.com

Special thanks to Izzy Carnwath

At BAMMA 8, England’s Jim Wallhead will be looking to take another big scalp, having defeated Frank Trigg by split decision at BAMMA 7, when he throws down against Jackson’s Mixed Martial Arts representative, Joey Villasenor.

And on December 10, fans could be forgiven for thinking Guy Fawkes Day is running a month late as the charismatic ‘Judo’ Jim enters the Capital FM Arena and ignites his special brand of hellfire crackers disguised as MMA skills.

Wallhead will be backed by his impressive career stats of 22-6-0 and years of high calibre cagemanship developed at one of the world’s most respected gyms, Rough House MMA.

Jim’s opponent for the night will be Smokin’ Joey Villasenor from Jackson’s MMA in Albuquerque, who boasts a similar record of 28-9-0.  The clash of these two warriors will certainly be one not to be missed as the UK’s Wallhead takes on back-to-back US fighters, and Wallhead is determined to rise to the occasion once again before his loyal hometown fans.

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Mr. Colin 'Freakshow' Fletcher

Colin Fletcher vs. David Round

© Marc Wickert www.knucklepit.com
Special thanks to Izzy Carnwath

UK MMA combatant Colin Fletcher is a total professional who studies his opponents closely and is always looking to push himself to the max.  By contrast, studying Colin’s videos often proves to be a difficult task for his adversaries due to his game being so unorthodox and constantly changing.  Fight fans often wonder if  Fletcher knows what his strategy will be; however they do know it will be ‘different’ and never to be repeated.

On September 29, 2009, even the ref appeared to have trouble working out what was happening in Fletcher’s fight with Jordan May, until Colin solved the problem by knocking out Jordan in spectacular fashion.

BAMMA 8 will be Fletcher’s next outing when he collides with David Round for a bout that’s bound to squeeze out sparks.  Colin likes a challenge in his fights – the tougher the opponent the better.  And he does regard David as being a tough opponent. 

“I always tend to fight better with the pressure on, that’s why I always ask to be matched up with the toughest people available to me, and I consider David Round a very dangerous opponent which really excites me about this fight and helps me put one hundred percent in at the gym,” says Fletcher.

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ANTONY REA READY FOR BAMMA 8

Manuwa vs. Rea

© Marc Wickert www.knucklepit.com
Special thanks to Izzy Carnwath

Get ready for fireworks, folks!  December 10 is set to be a HUGE night at the Capital FM Arena in Nottingham with BAMMA 8 providing a stacked-to-the-rafters MMA card.  Headlining this full-tilt night is the light heavyweight showdown between Britain’s Jimi ‘Poster Boy’ Manuwa (10-0) and France’s Antony ‘Wild Thing’ Rea (22-13-0).

Antony will be coming off a five-fight winning streak and has a wealth of experience tucked under his belt, having fought the likes of Vitor Belfort, Rich Franklin and Marvin Eastman.

Antony and Jimi are both used to their fights finishing at the blink of a black eye, with few of their matches making it past the first round, and their broadside at BAMMA 8 is likely to be the same – regardless of the outcome.

With English being Antony Rea’s second language, Knucklepit very much appreciates the trouble Antony went to in responding to this interview via the internet.

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LEEROY BARNES READY FOR BATTLE AT BAMMA 8

Marshman vs. Barnes

© Marc Wickert www.knucklepit.com
Special thanks to Izzy Carnwath

 In the 1990s Guinness launched their stout advertising campaign with the slogan “Good things come to those who wait”, but somehow Leeroy Barnes dodged that one and instead ran with Abraham Lincoln’s advice: “You can have anything you want – if you want it badly enough. You can be anything you want to be, do anything you set out to accomplish if you hold to that desire with singleness of purpose.”

Leeroy lives MMA.  He’s born to compete and is his own hardest opponent, pushing himself to the max every time.  Fans just have to check out Barnes’s entries on YouTube to see he’s a man on a mission and very much in charge of his own destiny; pouring blood, sweat and tears into his workouts to ensure his dreams become reality.

Leeroy’s Facebook entry for November 20 read “My week is done, finished, smashed!!  Although I thought today was never going to end!!  Three sessions in the bank, Dutch Thai drills and MMA sparring and then wrestling down in Leigh with UFC vet Tom Blackledge then back home for 20 minutes of interval swimming sprints in the pool!  Doin’ WORK!!  December 10th and the NEW WWW!!!” 

Knucklepit was fortunate to squeeze in between one of Leeroy’s three-times-a-day training sessions to find out what makes him tick – like an H-bomb, and to ask how his preparation is going for December 10’s BAMMA 8 event.

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UCMMA FEATHERWEIGHT CHAMPION CORY TAIT

UCMMA Featherweight Champion

© Marc Wickert www.knucklepit.com

Special thanks to Izzy Carnwath

Most MMA fans would shudder just at the mention of Cory Tait’s name after witnessing his diabolical KO of Dino Gambatesa via a loaded crescent kick at UCMMA 16 on October 23, 2010.  Ironically, that particular UCMMA card was dubbed Unbelievable and Cory saw to it that his section of the night lived up to the moniker.  His knockout of Gambatesa sits right up there with Gilbert Yvel’s KO of Gary Goodridge as two of the most devastating head-kick KOs in MMA.  To view Tait vs. Gambatesa click here.

And recently Cory drew more attention when he featured in filmmaker Demetrio Marquez’s outstanding documentary ‘3’ presented by MTV’s The Wrap.  Making up the MMA trinity of UK fighters alongside Cory Tait were Jimi Manuwa and Jack Marshman: three exceptional fighters to definitely watch out for, thus the title ‘3’.

For years Cory has been honing his skills at Gintas CSD under the tutorage of Gintas Bukauskus, and in 2009 Cory ‘Capcom’ Tait became the first athlete to earn an IDAN Blackbelt in CSD (Combat Self Defence).  Through his association with Bukauskus, Cory established a 4-1 MMA career and is the current UCMMA Featherweight Champion after defeating Nathan Beer at UCMMA 23: Go 4 It on September 17, 2011.

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