Warriors fell, blood was spilled and bones were broken as some of the UK’s best up and coming mixed martial artists went to war at Bolton’s Reebok stadium for Full Contact Contender 9.
A packed crowd was treated to a plethora of knock-outs, submissions and all-out wars in one of the UK’s biggest amateur MMA events.
A whopping 21 fights took place on the night, including seven title fights, four of those being professional bouts.
Manchester’s FCC lightweight champion Brendan Loughnane headed up the event, along with fellow Mancunian and unbeaten flyweight, Pietro Menga.
CONFIDENT: Pietro Menga before he enters the cage
Menga, of MMA Academy Liverpool, defeated Sotir Kichukov of Team Warrior in the co-main event of the evening, beating the Bulgarian via unanimous decision, and taking home the FCC Pro European Championship.
SOTIR KICHUKOV: The Bulgarian focuses on the battle ahead
Menga came close to finishing the fight on several occasions, but the durable Bulgarian was able to see it through to the end.
Menga told MM: “I didn’t expect this kind of fight. I’m really happy that I came close to finishing so many times. Iin a strange kind of way, it’s like I finished hIm five times in the fight without actually getting the finish.
CALM BEFORE THE STORM: Warriors touch gloves before battle
“The choke was sunk deep. I started celebrating when I dropped him with the knee, he was out before he hit the floor and then he hit the floor and he woke up and I was like, ‘oh here we go’.
SUBMISSION: Menga locks in deep a rear naked choke
“On any given day it’s going to be different. It might have been finished in the first 30 seconds but it ended up being a three round fight. It’s MMA at the end of the day, that’s the beauty of it.
DECISION TIME: Menga confident of securing win
Menga went 11-0 after the win, and hinted that it might be the last time English fans see him fight at an FCC event, with the possibility of fighting over in the states, though the Mancunian remained coy on how much he revealed.
“No, no I don’t, in the next breath you’re probably not going to see me here again. We’ve had a couple of good offers. We’ll just have to see,” he said.
In the main event of the night, Brendan Loughnane of Predators Manchester fought an epic battle with Essex lad Jason Cooledge, of BKK Fighters, in what was arguably the best fight of the night.
ASHLEY REECE: Team Monkey MMA was well represented at FCC9
Loughnane, a semi-finalist the UFC’s The Ultimate Fighter, threw everything he had at Cooledge, throwing a barrage of punches, kicks and brutal knees to the body.
After looking close to finishing him in the second round, Cooledge was able to come back strong in the third, showing his true warrior spirit.
The Mancunian did enough in the end, taking the victory on points and retaining his FCC Lightweight belt, and taking his career tally to 8-1.
After the fight, Loughnane,revealed to MM that he actually broke his hand in the first round.
He said: “I felt it go in the first round. I heard it go ‘bang’. I don’t know what the fuck happened, all I know is that, that was the main weapon in the fight and I lost it.
Well done @Brendan264 and @Kane86mousah. Absolutely smashed it. #MMA #UK #Dangerous #Manchester pic.twitter.com/SriiI6j59Z
— Catch Wrestling (@CatchWrestling1) March 24, 2014
“He just took it like it was nothing, I hit him with my best shots so what can I do? He’s a tough bastard, but I like those fights anyway, I prefer them. I was looking to stand up and have it.
“I prefer them fights all day than boring ones, you know what I mean, at least we give the fans something to watch.”
Manchester favourite Kane ‘The Danger’ Mousah of Rough House gym, blew away Hyde fighter Mikey Castell of Hyde MMA via Submission due to strikes in round one, despite Castell coming out strong at the bell.
KANE MOUSAH: Fan favourite was well supported at the event
Mousah told MM: “He did well. He caught me with a couple of good shots, but instinct just kicked in. He got me into a guillotine at one point, but I just drove my head up and I was able to get out.
“He kneed me in the face as well and rocked me. He’s rigid, a real tough fighter, but I’m just glad I got the win. The support was amazing, but I always have a good following.”
In the UAR Lightweight, Manchester’s Bout Paul Douglas of SGB Mainline saw off Brett Venable of Hyde MMA with a dominant TKO stoppage in round one.
GROUND AND POUND: Paul Douglas takes little time to dispose of opponent
Young heavyweight Tom Aspinall, 20, of Team Kaobon, delivered one of the most explosive knockouts of the night, making light work of Tom ‘The Tank’ Bankevics, KO’ing the bruiser after just 14 seconds.
The newly crowned FCC heavyweight champion told MM he had been preparing for a much longer fight.
AARON ABY: The Liverpudlian suffers from cystic fibrosis
He said: “I didn’t expect to take him out so quick to be honest. I’d prepared for five rounds, because we know he gets tired quite quickly.
“We’d prepared to tire him out and then try and take him out in round two or three.”
Aspinall joked that his power was ‘in his genes’.
MICK GERRARD: Aby endured a tough fight against the Liverpudlian
BATTERED AND BLOODY… BUT VICTORIOUS: Mick Gerrard post-fight
In what was perhaps the nloodiest bouts of the night, cystic fibrosis sufferer Aaron Aby of MMA Academy Liverpool lost via unanimous decision to fellow Liverpudlian Mick Gerrard of Sapphire Gym.
Gerrard told MM: “I knew he wasn’t good with his hands, that’s why I had my hands up. I expected to take him out, but I had to play it clever becuase I knew he’d try to take me down.
“I hadn’t fought since July, so I’m pretty happy to get the win.”
BLOODIED: Gerrard split open Aby’s eye with a vicious elbow
Teen Conor Riordan, one of four fighters on the night from Team Monkey MMA Studio, notched up another win in a tough contest against Paul Bentley, beating him by submission with a perfectly executed arm bar off of his back.
VICTORIOUS: Conor Riordan was delighted with his performance
Craig Kelly took little time to dispose of Hayden Shariff, beating him via TKO within 25 seconds of Round one, followed by another quick stoppage with Callum Brady sweeping Tom Tynan to one side via TKO after 28 seconds of round one also.
EASY: Craig Kelly took little time to dispose of his opponent
HAPPY CHAPPY: Jack Cartwright celebrates victory in the cage
Antonio Sheldon of FCPC inflicted Team Monkey MMA Studio’s first loss of the night, beating Junior Morgan via decision.
READY: Junior Morgan awaits the bell
DISAPPOINTED: Junior Morgan lost a close fight via decision
Team Monkey’s Ashley Reece extended his unbeaten record to 5-0, beating James Darkes via TKO in round one.
Andreas Tricomitis capped off a successful night for Team Monkey, utilising impressive wrestling and judo skills to get the points victory over James Duckett.
ON HIS WAY UP: Andreas Tricomitis earns another victory thanks to his dominant wrestling and judo
DOMINANT: Andreas Tricomitis utilised his superior wrestling for win
Chris Senior, of FCPC, from Castleton, Derbyshire, defeated Josh McManus of 1st Legion via Triangle at in round 1, taking the FCC Welterweight Championship.
TEAM MONKEY: Reece’s corner were delighted with his performance
Senior told MM: “I feel great. That was the plan, but you just don’t know. As far as my next fight, I’m willing to fight whoever they put in front of me.
IN CONTROL: Chris Senior defeated Josh McManus comfortably
SUBMISSION ATTEMPT: Chris Senior goes for a triangle choke
Speaking about the prospect of facing Team Monkey‘s Andreas Tricomitis, he said: “Yeah Andreas is a tough guy, but I think I can beat him.”
BRING IT ON: Senior said he will fight whoever is put in front of him
In one of the most memorable fights of the night, Andrew Clamp from Blackledge MMA took home the FCC Lightweight championship after defeating Team Chongi’s Shaun Hampton via decision after a hard-fought battle.
ANDREW CLAMP: The Blackledge pupil dominated proceedings
Clamp told MM: “He’s an animal. I tried to stand up, and I don’t usually stand but I did this time. I felt his strength but I think he felt me strength more.
CHAMPION: Clamp celebrates a hard-fought win
“I was tired in the fourth and fifth, I was really just fighting on heart, and that’s something you can’t teach.”
For more information on the FCC, please visit here.
Photography by David Keane.
