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Cage Rage 17 proved to be the most successful Cage Rage event ever, but also saw a huge upset for the British fans as UK fighting legends Ian Freeman and James Thompson were both defeated.

Ian Freeman, making his official comeback, faced up to the almighty Melvin Manhoef from Holland, who has recently been chomping his way through the best Heavyweights that Cage Rage could throw at him, and Ian “The Machine” Freeman was to be no exception.

Both fighters approached one another and Ian tried for a shoot, whereupon Melvin sprawled and caught Ian with a big punch for his troubles. Melvin then continued a barrage of heavy punches on the floor, leaving the bewildered Freeman down and out. A devastating knock out victory in only 17 seconds of the first round.

In the evenings second topple of the UK all-time greats, James “The Colossus” Thompson faced up to the almost unknown Rob Broughton in a fight that many deemed to be a joke, and a simple cannon-fodder afair for the much more experienced Thompson, who has fought several times on Pride, and defeated Dan Severn to win the Ultimate Combat World Title in 2004. Looking at both fighters side by side in seemed logical who would win, with Thompson being extremely large and muscular and in great shape, in contrast Broughton was carrying some extra weight around the mid-section and looked as though he would be slow and sloppy.

James started fast and heavy, as is to be expected from the man they call “Gong Rush” in Japan. James battered his opponent for the entirety of the first round, with Broughton looking like a helpless rabbit in the headlights, giving James almost no return on his barrage.

The second round started in much the same way, with Thompson taking control. However, the tables started to turn towards the end of the second round where Broughton suddenly decided to wake up and started throwing some punches of his own – and the guy can actually punch too!

The third round was to prove the undoing on Thompson. Fired on from chants from his home crowd, Broughton turned up the heat a little as both fighters exchanged solid blows. Broughton clearly wanted the win, whereas Thompson seemed simply to want to survive – probably because he was clearly ahead on Judges points and the end was nigh. Then Broughton felled the mighty Colossus with a big punch which sent Thompson slamming to the canvas, Broughton followed him down into side mount and threw several big punches to the head of the bloody Thompson, who was quickly sent to sleep and left defeated and virtually unconcious as the referee intervened.

Broughton took the Cage Rage British Title for his heroic efforts. Although very raw, unconditioned and with a lot more to learn, Broughton should not be underestimated and could prove to be a future force to be reckoned with. After all he has just defeated the man many consider to be the UK’s best heavyweight fighter! It will be interesting to see if Broughton can continue a strong winning streak in future appearances. One thing is for sure – the man is tough and does not give up. Add some extra skills to his determination and you could be looking at someone who could stand toe-to-toe with the best of them.

Hopefully neither Ian Freeman nor James Thompson will be too disheartened by their losses, especially Freeman who clearly still has the heart of a fighter. It would be a shame to see Ian end his career on this loss, so hopefully the big guy has at least one more fight in him!

Official Press Release by Cage Rage’s PR company, Golightly PR:

“Cage Rage 17 Sells out 6,500 Capacity Wembley Arena.

As an English dream was cut short at quarter final stages for yet another time, 6,500 people in Wembley Arena still had a night of celebration. On Saturday 1st July, the largest Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) or cage fighting event in Europe, Cage Rage 17: Ultimate Challenge, wowed the crowd with eleven ultimate fights.

After a week of controversy surrounding the sport and calls from Brent Council to ban MMA the night was a complete success with no signs of trouble.

English successes included Mark “The Beast” Epstein beating Dave Legeno to retain the light heavyweight title, County Durham crowd pleaser Robert “Buzz” Berry beating US champ Henry “Sentoryu” Miller and underdog Rob Broughton beating UFC Vet [I think they mean Pride - Ed] and MMA legend James “The Colossus” Thompson after 10mins and 47 secs of heavyweight ground and pound.

Before the headline fight, a packed, England clad crowd stood for the National Anthem to support returning British veteran Ian “The Machine” Freeman against Dutch Melvin Manhoef for the World Light Heavy Weight Title. Unfortunately for Ian there was no extra time, no penalties and he was knocked out within 17 seconds.

Although there were two English defeats for the Cage Rage crowd a feeling of unity and camaraderie filled the air and spectators cheered the reigning champion Manhoef. Local police, Brent Council and Wembley Arena officials were all present to assess the event. All were pleased with the professionalism of the show and have no problems with Cage Rage continuing at Wembley for their next event on 30th September.”

Its official the new site is now live, however its currently in beta until Cage Rage staff gets to grips with the CMS. I am pleased to have designed and managed the new site for cage rage. Go to www.cagerage.tv to look around.

British Light Heavyweight Title
Ian Freeman Vs Mark Epstein

International Super bout
Mark Weir Vs Phil Baroni

British Heavyweight Title
Rob Broughton Vs Robert Berry

British Welterweight Title
Paul Daley Vs Sol Gilbert

International bout
Trevor Prangley Vs Gregory Bul

International bout
Dan Severn Vs TBA

British Featherweight Title
Brad Pickett Vs Robbie Olivier

Man vs. Machine
Melvin Manhoef vs Ian Freeman

Melvin Manhoef threw punches that were simply too fast for the aging radar of Ian Freeman to pick up. As more and more upholstered fists landed on their seek and destroy mission, the bombs began to take their toll on the aged and now unconscious Ian Freeman. It was a scything right hand that sent Freeman to the mat, from where he received yet more blows from Manhoef who now leered over him. Another heavy right hand thudded against Freeman’s head and forced Grant Waterman to conclude the bout.
After coming out of retirement claiming that he was still the best Britain had to offer, Freeman was made to look like a silly old man living off past glory. So many promises had been made about how we were going to see something new and that we would all be surprised by Freeman’s performance – the hype eclipsed the spectacle. After only 17 seconds, Melvin Manhoef was awarded the victory and retained the Light-Heavyweight Championship belt and Freeman was left looking rather Royce-like.

Event promoters, Dave O’Donnell and Andy Greer couldn’t have hoped for a more successful evening than the one they enjoyed. The venue was packed out, all of the fights were gripping and the atmosphere was awesome. Prior to the event the two promoters implored the public to buy tickets if they wanted to see big fights. The public delivered, and now hopefully the two giants of British MMA will continue to put on the best fight cards in Europe.

A ‘Colossal’ Upset
James Thompson vs Rob Broughton

James Thompson found international acclaim when he was called up to the ranks of the Pride Fighting Championships. Up to this point, Thompson had suffered only one defeat, which came at the hands of Tengiz Tedoradze at Ultimate Combat X in Kidderminster. The original fight card featured a rematch between the two, but when it was discovered that Tengiz had fought during the 28 day “lockout� period prior to the bout, he was stripped of his title and denied the chance to fight Thompson.

Thompson, now fighting for the vacant British Heavyweight Title, looked lackadaisical, gassed and unskilled in his bout with Rob Broughton who entered the bout on short notice and extemporarily.

Round one was dominated by Thompson who landed a stinging uppercut-right cross combination during the initial stand-up exchange, and who then went on to dominate on the ground also. However, Thompson failed to make the most of any of the positions gained. No submission attempts were made, Thompson opting instead to simply pound his way through Broughton. The crowd were becoming restless and impatient at Thompson’s lack of fervour which was causing the fight to become rather stale.

Round two continued in much the same fashion as the first. Thompson’s guard during the initial stand-up exchange was now low and fatigued but a failed takedown attempt from Broughton meant that Thompson found himself on top once again. This angered the crowd further who booed Thompson for his performance. Midway through the round Broughton swept Thompson from inside the guard, reversing the positions and implementing some ground and pound of his own – this was met with a roar of appreciation from the crowd. The tides were turning.

Round three was opened by Broughton with a range-finding front kick to Thompson’s chest. This strike was accompanied by a further three punches, all of which landed on the now unguarded face of James Thompson. Like a felled tree Thompson tumbled to the matt, partly under duress from his own exhaustion. Now in side-mount Broughton found himself with a wealth of support behind him and in a position to finish the fight. A few moments of ground and pound later, Broughton was stopped from administering any more punishment. Cage Rage had found a new British Heavyweight Champion, and it wasn’t James Thompson!

“The Hurricane� Blew Through Scherner
Gilbert Yvel vs Fabiano Scherner

In the current MMA climate, fight promotions are holding onto their top fighters like boys in a playground holding onto their most precious football stickers. The result is that MMA fans aren’t getting to watch those dream bouts that cross the UFC/Pride boundaries. However, Cage Rage have been very successful in matching ex-UFC exponents with ex-Pride fighters. Gilbert Yvel versus Fabiano Scherner was one such bout, and was a dream match-up by UK standards. Unfortunately for those in attendance (and those watching on the new Cage Rage online PPV) the bout only lasted 1:30.

The bout started with some range-finding strikes from Yvel, until they were suspended by a knee from Scherner that landed squarely on Yvel’s groin guard. Yvel shook off the pain and the bout was resumed promptly. Yvel then attempted one of his patented knee strikes to which Scherner was wise, gaining the single leg takedown as a result. In an attempt to finish the bout quickly Scherner fell backwards into an Achilles lock, transitioning to heel-hook and then on to a knee bar. All three of these submission attempts failed, and what’s more, Yvel was pounding on Scherner’s head throughout. Once Yvel had his leg in relative safety he pounded with even more enthusiasm, reverberating a low thud through the entire cage via the head of Scherner. The onslaught was halted by the referee at 1:30 of round one.

A Croatian Sensation
Zelg Galesic vs Curtis Stout

Zelg Galesic is an MMA Universe favourite, and we were pleased to see that Cage Rage also had faith in the 26 year old Croatian striker by allowing him to step up and replace Evangelista “Cyborg� Santos in the bout against Curtis “Bang em Out� Stout.
It was Zelg who drew first blood by smashing low kicks into the legs of the American, straight after which Stout gained a double-leg takedown. Galesic is known for his laser guided accuracy and solid technical ability, and he certainly gave Stout something to think about with those low kicks. Whether it was these kicks or a premeditated game-plan that caused Stout to take the fight to the ground is not known, but this proved to be a fatal error.

Stout attempted to open up with some ground and pound but instead found himself clamped by a Galesic armbar attempt. His bid to slam out of danger failed and Stout now found himself tapping to the tune of an armbar at 1:10 of round one.
Zelg was evidently very pleased with his performance and announced that he wished to be considered for a title shot.

The Japan-Based American Given an English Beating
Robert Berry vs Henry Miller

Robert “Buzz� Berry stormed through Pride veteran Henry “Sentoryu� Miller in just over a minute. The two leviathans launched at each other with Buzz fairing much better. Although Buzz had no real guard to speak of, he did make effective use of his range advantage. The Englishman’s heavy blows caused Miller to attempt a takedown. However this attempt was resoundingly quashed by Buzz, who then found himself on top. Buzz rained down some impressively heavy shots which appeared to be as powerful as the ones thrown when standing. At 1:06 of round one there was a referee interjection and a roar for the Englishman.

‘The Enforcer’ in a Hairy Position with ‘The Beast’
Mark Epstein vs Dave Legeno

Every punch thrown by Mark “The Beast� Epstein in his bout with Dave “The Enforcer� Legeno was done so with evil intention. Epstein’s barely controlled aggression was painted across his face as he landed as frequently as he threw. Legeno attempted to throw punches with the same gusto which made the chasm between skill levels all the more evident. After having backed Legeno up against the cage, Epstein landed a crippling left-right combination that left Legeno rigid with unconsciousness. Epstein landed a glancing right hand as Legeno tumbled to the mat but the writing was already on the wall. Legeno was left disengaged from his senses after only 45 seconds.
After the bout Epstein revealed his intentions to challenge the winner of the Freeman vs Manhoef bout. He also gave a shout-out to “his boys locked up in Morocco�.

Daijiro Matsui vs Pierre Guillet

Fight-savvy Daijiro Matsui probably won the opening round by gaining a takedown and coming extremely close to ending the bout with an Achilles hold. The pain suffered by Guillet was written across his face as his hand was hovering in preparation for a tap that never came. Matsui surprised many by standing and trading with Guillet before taking him down and actually landed the better shots.

Guillet had found range by round two and was landing several uppercuts as well as a vicious right elbow – but it was Guillet’s ground and pound that made the difference. A huge cut was opened on Matsui’s left eye that forced referee Grant Waterman to seek a second opinion. It was that opinion that ended the bout – a doctor stoppage at 4:08 of round two.

The win was not the most convincing of the night but the tides did appear to be turning as Guillet landed more and more frequently. All that matters for Guillet is the ‘W’ and hopefully this may lead to more Cage Rage appearances for the UK-based American fighter.

Abdul Mohamed vs Jean Silva

The first round was clearly won by Jean Silva who was far more successful during the stand-up exchanges and had two very close submission attempts. The first was a kimura attempt that looked like it would put an end to the bout, the second was a side choke that Mohammed did very well to weather.

The next two rounds were very close and could have gone either way. But again the takedown debate rears its ugly head. Mohammed did appear to be taking Silva down at will be never really looked like he was going to finish the fight. Silva on the other hand was aggressive in all areas and landed a massive flying knee to Mohammed’s ribs at the end of round three. Mohammed eked out yet another decision (by majority), one with which the crowd did not concur.

Welterweight Matchmaking at its Best
Ross Mason vs Paul Daley

Ross Mason, although rocked early on by Paul Daley, convincingly won round one. Almost the entire bout was contested on the feet with a tentative opening few seconds of range finding. The two started by exchanging leg kicks and then working on finding range with the hands. It was a Daley jab that had Mason stunned, but his recovery was quick and his response brutal. Mason landed a powerful right hook that sent Daley to the matt and then followed in with some more heavy strikes to see out the round.

Round two belonged to Daley. ‘Semtex’ had suffered a slow start and, after listening to the guidance of his corner, came out for round two on fire. Daley handed Mason a ground and pound mauling that left the Midlands fighter looking bruised and battered. Daley moved from the guard to side, and then full mount, pounding at every opportunity. The effect of this punishment would become evident in round three in which Daley appeared to be the much fresher fighter of the two.

Round three was by far the closest of the bout but it was Daley who was the deserving winner having taken Mason down and moved through the position handbook once again. Mason is a major scalp for Daley and this win goes a long way to realising Daley’s aspirations to be the best welterweight in the UK.

And in the rest of the night’s action…

Dean Bray defeated Darren Guisha via rear naked choke at 3:03 of the first round;

Robbie Olivier achieved exactly the same over his opponent Mark Chen, gaining his rear naked at 3:11 of round one;

and Phil Norman achieved a well deserved victory over Swedish-born David Bielkheden via unanimous decision.

Cage Rage and MBS Productions have partnered with Servecast, the leading supplier of streaming media solutions to the sports industry, to webcast ‘Cage Rage – The Ultimate Challenge’ on July 1st live over CageRage.tv

The event, which is 4 hours in duration, will feature 26 fighters from 8 countries and the main fightcard will be webcast live, and later on an archive basis, to a global audience.

The event will be made available live on a Pay Per View basis and will then be made available as an archive for a limited period to again be purchased on a Pay Per View basis. This is based on a ticket price of $10 for pre-purchase or $15 on the day of the event and $10 for all on-demand purchases after the event.

Cage Rage fans around the world can see live, exciting action from the Wembley Arena and they will enjoy the best possible broadband video experience.

The web based viewing & payment console will be available from Thursday 29th June.