The latest offering from the Cage Rage and Elite team proved to be a mixed offering: Europe’s premier MMA event continues to grow - with bigger names and better exposure, and yet there still seems to be something holding it back. It was a night of exciting fights as some of the world’s best strikers set out to do some serious damage. There were some surprisingly good last minute changes due to injuries, and it seems gone are days when the crowd immediately start to boo the fighters as soon as the action hits the floor. And yet there was still something missing… As is the flavour of big British events, Cage Rage attempted to pit the best of British talent against some well-known faces from the rest of the world, only this time the Brit’s came away if not seriously battered then at least seriously frustrated. The wonder that is London’s public transport system was blamed (and probably rightly so) with leaving a great deal of the sold-out event’s seats empty throughout the night, and despite both a new deal with Sky Television, and rap-legend Ludacris gracing the event with his presence, Cage Rage has yet to really grow in the public eye. And who came up with the idea of having Dean Gaffney present a trophy?!

Anyway, on to the fights:

Andy Walker (England) vs. Alex de Souza (Brazil) – This match was put together at the last minute, and despite being predominantly a slow ground war, you cannot really question either of these fighters’ hearts considering this match actually pitted disciple against master as Heavyweight hopeful Andy Walker’s own BJJ instructor Alex de Souza was called in as a last minute replacement. Neither fighter wanted this standing, as de Souza tried to work for submissions through Walker’s cautious Ground ‘n’ Pound, coming close at the end of the first with a kneebar which he initially refused to let go at the buzzer. The next 2 rounds were more of the same as de Souza worked for submissions from the floor but it was Walker’s position and chipping away with strikes that got the nod from the judges. In the end the pupil bowed to his teacher, and both fighters, still on their knees, hugged in a tremendous show of respect.
Winner: Andy Walker by Split decision.

Dave Lee (England) vs. Ricky Andrews (England) – Despite the respect of the last bout the crowd were eager to get warmed up with some real action, and this bout did not disappoint. Both fighters came out quickly with Andrews picking Lee up and turning him over for a big 270° slam – and was rewarded with landing in a tight triangle choke for his efforts just 47 seconds in.
Winner: Dave Lee by Triangle Choke rd. 1.

Chris “The Freak” Freeborn (England) vs. Brad “One Punch” Pickett (England) – This was the first real clash of the night. Both fighters came out ready and willing as the ring-savvy Freeborn took on the hard-punching showman that is Brad Pickett. In true showman style Pickett came out in a ridiculous outfit of brown trousers, a vest, suspenders and farmer’s hat, but failed to live up to his reputation as although he had his moments, it was Freeborn who controlled most of the action. Pickett is a talented striker with serious heart, and definitely someone to watch out for in the future, but it was Freeborn’s night. Freeborn took the boxer off his feet and worked diligently from the ground throughout both rounds. Pickett was able to reverse position several times, but even his Ground ‘n’ Pound consisted of looking for that one big right hand, he could not put Freeborn away, and midway through the second round the boxer got himself caught in a tight triangle. Pickett repeatedly threw leather but the fight was inevitably stopped.
Winner: Chris Freeborn by Triangle Choke rd. 2.

Robert “Buzz” Berry (England) vs. Andy “Wookie Monster” Harber (England) – Despite having the best nickname of the night, The Wookie Monster was severely outmatched in this bout as his huge opponent got the better of the exchanges that became very one-sided. Eventually one solid punch had him covering up and the heavy flurry that followed forced the ref to stop it at 2:51 of the first round.
Winner: Andy Berry by TKO rd.1.

Andy “The Rock” Costello (England) vs. Daniel Burzotta (England) – It seems as thought The Rock was the favourite coming into this fight having dispatched his first three opponents with strikes and clearly having the size advantage. But in a bout that matched Judo vs. Jiu-jitsu it was predictably the Judoka in the form of Costello who scored the takedown after some nice striking, but once there Burzotta was able to weather everything The Rock could throw and caught his opponent in a tight armbar at just 2:38 of the first round.
Winner: Daniel Burzotta by Armbar rd.1.

Evangelista “Cyborg” Santos (Brazil) vs. Antony Rea (France) – Whilst Cyborg isn’t considered by many to be a top light-heavyweight he is well known and a dangerous striker, and this was a perfect opportunity for one of France’s top fighters to gain some recognition, and he didn’t disappoint. During the stare down Cyborg as usual looked as though he was going to take someone’s head off, and he certainly tried. Cyborg came out swinging. Whilst not the most technical punches, his powerful hooks had Rea on the defensive straight away, and it looked as though Cyborg could end it at any moment. But the Frenchman defended well and took the fight to the Brazilian getting the takedown and pounding him methodically from the top. Cyborg was awarded a stand-up after Rea threw an illegal elbow but it made no difference, he was taken down again and Rea worked the Ground ‘n’ Pound. The second round spelled the end for the Brazilian as he came straight out and threw a kick to body that was caught by Rea who then executed a beautiful takedown, he continued to dominate from the top working his strikes till the referee was forced to step in.
Winner: Antony Rea by TKO rd.2.

After the bout a clearly unhappy Wanderlei Silva was invited into the ring were he was presented with a Cage Rage sword and even an axe before the “Fight Professor” himself Stephen Quadros was able to give us a short interview in English during which The Axe Murderer promised he had a team mate who he would be sending to take Rea on.

Sami “The Hun” Berik (Turkey) vs. Jeremy “Bad Boy” Bailey (England) – This a very interesting bout that pitted the quick striking Hun who actually lists Tai Chi Chuan as his fighting style against the self titled Bad Boy of MMA, both fighters having almost a 50/50 win/loss ratio. Sami is a very promising fighter who has been trying to make a name for himself whilst addressing his weakness on the ground. Bailey on the other hand is someone who started strong but has suffered from a poor string of recent performances. Surprisingly enough Bailey came in without any sign of his usual Bad Boy antics, ever since his antics cost him a win against Phil Gildea back at Cage Rage 8 it seems that he has been convinced to clean up his act as he was very respectful, bowing upon entering the cage and then to his opponent.

This was the first drawn out war of the night as The Hun took the fight to Bailey trying to land a high kick then using his quick hands to put Bailey on the defensive. Sami then took Bailey down where he was able to control the action and although he threw some nice shots he was unable to really do much damage. Looking for the finish, Sami then tried for an armbar but his submissions obviously still need some work as Bailey easily defended and reversed position, trying to do some damage of his own before trying to bring the action back up. But as Sami hesitated on the ground Bailey caught him with an illegal kick to the head. It looked as though this was a genuine mistake, and Bailey was quick to apologise.

The second round was very much the same with Sami proving to be the more effective striker, although he was unable to finish Bailey who grew more and more confident as the round progressed, and even began to taunt Sami whilst looking for a big right hand, but it never came. The third round proved to be little different, Bailey’s new found confidence helped him stay on his feet a bit better but he couldn’t land that right hand and was out-struck by The Hun. Bailey’s one chance came at the end of the round as a successful takedown from Sami put him right in a guillotine attempt from Bailey, however he was unable to finish and Sami slipped out before the bell. The judges gave the well-deserved decision to The Hun.
Winner: Sami Berik by judges decision.

Jean “The White Bear” Silva (Brazil) vs. Leigh “The Bulldog” Remedios (England) for the Cage Rage World Lightweight title – Even though this fight was the only title fight on the card, with still plenty of fights to come it was by no means a disappointment, overshadowed only by some brutal knockouts that were to follow. These two originally fought back at Cage Rage 5 where the Capoeira kicking Silva came out victorious with a kick to the head. But this time Silva was originally planned to face Chris Brennan who was forced to pull out, and since UFC veteran Leigh’s opponent Robbie Oliver also pulled out it made sense to let these two have another go at each other. Silva has recently made the move to Wanderlei’ Silva’s team Chute Boxe, whilst Leigh has for a while now been training with out of one of Britain’s finest MMA facilities, the Quannum Gym.

Silva came out strong in the first round, missing with a flying knee but using quick flurries reminiscent of Vitor Belfort to put Leigh on the defensive. They clinched and Silva forced Leigh against the fence where he alternated between controlling and pulling back to throw flurries. Leigh showed little sign of being in danger however and despite Silva doing well at imposing his game on him, Leigh threw low kicks and powerful shots whenever he had the opportunity. When Silva succeeded in taking the action to the floor however, it was Leigh who proved the more dangerous, nearly securing an armbar on the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt from the guard.

Leigh came out stronger in the second round, Silva was again dictating most of the action, keen to avoid trading with Leigh directly and instead work from the clinch, but Leigh began landing better and more frequently, and even managed in taking the Brazilian down on more than one occasion. Silva is very comfortable on the ground however, with neither fighter taking a clear advantage. Although I gave the edge to Silva in the first, this round was very tough to call. Leigh came out stronger still in the third, managing to keep the action away from the cage and countering Silva’s flurries with more and more success, and even beginning to take the advantage on the ground. Luckily for Silva this was just a 3 round bout, as it seems he came into this fight with 2 broken ribs, and despite working well from his back his performance was starting to suffer. Although in my opinion Leigh took the third round, he couldn’t do enough to put the champ away and the fight was eventually declared a draw. Both camps celebrated, and Leigh seemed very unhappy by the decision, but this fight really was too close to call, and Leigh simply did not do enough to take the belt from the champ.
Winner: Draw.

Mark Weir (England) vs. Gabriel “Gladiator” Santos (Brazil) – Mark came into this fight as a replacement for injured team mate Matt Ewin much to the appreciation of the crowd who were loudly behind Weir for the entire fight, although this did not seem to help and in fact may have hindered things as Santos clearly wanted no part of Weir’s striking and charged in for a takedown from the word go. This was to set the tone for the entire fight, as Santos worked to put Weir on his back and keep him there, but not do much else. Santos barely mounted any real offence and simply threw a few weak hooks while clamped down over Weir’s hips. The amazing thing was that referee Grant Waterman never stood them up. Perhaps he was trying to make a point that he wouldn’t stand up the favourite but this was completely the wrong decision as Santos was going nowhere with this strategy, although Mark couldn’t mount much offence from his back he shouldn’t have to when his opponent is only trying to keep him there.

Round two began with Weir trying to throw his usual quick punches and kicks but he could do not do any real damage before Santos once again took him to the mat. Again Santos did not mount any real offence and the crowd grew more and more agitated. Finally Santos tried for an armbar that allowed Weir to reverse position and begin unloading, throwing some nice punches and elbows that hurt the Brazilian until the end of the round. Round three saw Santos now unwilling to attempt any sort of attack and he once again took the action to the ground with the intention of keeping himself on top and out of trouble. Finally a stand-up allowed Weir a chance to throw some leather but it did not last as he once again found himself on his back for some more lay and pray.

At the end of the fight it was Santos who got the nod from the judges, much to the disappointment of all in attendance. Santos is unquestionably a talented wrestler who was able to take Weir out of his game but really all this has done is reward a fighter for doing nothing. This is a fight, not a grappling match, fair enough if you want to fight for points and not a finish but inaction should result in a restart, or even a penalty. I’m not a fan of the Pride yellow card system but no fighter should be rewarded for lay and pray. Weir was the only fighter to cause damage and deserves an immediate rematch.
“Winner”: Gabriel Santos by judges’ decision.

Jorge Rivera (USA) vs. Alex Reid (England) – Britain’s middleweight hopes were dashed again but quicker this time as Rivera looked to take gain some payback from his loss to Lee Murray on his team mate Alex Reid. Reid seemed to want to take his time in this fight and tried to keep the American away with kicks. Rivera however was having none of it and came in with strong, accurate strikes before forcing Reid up against the cage. From here Rivera teed off with brutal punches sending Reid crashing to the floor. Rivera did not earn the respect of the crowd as he celebrated loudly whilst Reid began to spasm on the floor and the ambulance crew ran into the cage, and not for the last time that night. Thankfully however Reid got back up to his feet and despite being groggy made his way out of the cage, Rivera then took the opportunity to challenge current Cage Rage Middleweight champ Anderson Silva for his belt.
Winner: Jorge Rivera by KO rd.1.

Melvin Manhoef (Holland) vs. Matthias Riccio (France) – This fight was a last minute addition to the card, and in fact it was supposed to be James Zikic who was to face Manhoef despite the fact they are signed to fight at K-1 in April. Zikic however was forced to pull out due to injury and Matthias, whom Zikic defeated at Cage Rage 8, was brought in. Matthias came out far more patient than in his fight with Zikic, throwing some nice low kicks and taking his time and trying to pick his shots. However the powerhouse that is Manhoef, who has been dubbed “the Mike Tyson of Dutch Muay Thai” proved to be far more than the Frenchman could handle. Manhoef not only threw more accurately but he threw much harder, and Matthias very quickly found himself becoming overwhelmed by the Dutchman’s punches and then by his clinch which he used to deliver some very nasty looking knees. Matthias more than once tried to take the fight to the floor but Manhoef used his power and speed to defend very well giving him the chance to land some equally nasty punches on top, and even at one point demonstrating his power by simply pushing off the Frenchman during a failed double-leg. After trying all he could Matthias finally succumbed to the Dutchman’s power and collapsed under the heat of a flurry up against the cage.
Winner: Melvin Manhoef by KO rd. 1.

At this point the Cage Rage crew took the time for a new segment during which they presented an award to a fighter who embodied the courage and spirit that Cage Rage is all about, and that fighter was Mark Epstein. Not only has Epstein held both the Heavyweight and Light-heavyweight title, but he has handed over his belt after losing a fight he took at the last minute. Mark was presented with a Cage Rage and a £2,000 bonus thanks to the event’s sponsor Pole Position. Mark seemed almost at a loss for words when he came into the cage, but it was great to see such a great fighter get that kind of recognition.

Curtis Stout (USA) vs. Sol “Zero Tolerance” Gilbert (England) – This fight promised to be a war as both fighters make no secret of the fact they love to strike, and a win for Sol could open doors internationally, whilst Stout simply needed to reverse a bad string of loses. Whilst Sol came out aggressively looking for the big right hand it was Stout who was the sharper of the two and even managed to take the fight to the floor. Although the fight was to stay here for the rest of the round Stout kept things busy looking to pound the Brit from within his guard. Round 2 began much the same with Sol coming in aggressively but this time the American was not intimidated and answered with a big left hook that caught Sol flush on the jaw. The blow caused Sol’s hands to drop to his side, his head roll back and his body collapse limp against the cage. The ambulance crew again rushed into the ring as the crowd recoiled to the slow motion replay.
Winner: Curtis Stout by KO rd.2.

Renato “Babalu” Sobral (Brazil) vs. Pierre Guillet (USA) – The final fight of the night pitted a pissed-off Babalu against an American fighter well known to British fans. The former Ultimate Combat champion looked totally out of his depth against the Brazilian who has 7-0 since his loss to Chuck Liddell three years ago. Babalu is due to make his return to the UFC and may have viewed this simply as a tune-up fight, but he definitely made an impression. Neither fighter charged out but Babalu landed a beautiful low kick that could be heard all over the arena before using his impressive wrestling skills to take Guillet down. Once he had him down Babalu rained down fists so fast and hard Guillet was forced to tap before the ref could even step in, and when he did it was to physically pull him off his battered opponent. Travis Wiuff may have bitten off a lot more than he can chew in taking on Babalu as his first opponent at 205lbs.
Winner: Renato Sobral by submission due to strikes rd. 1.

And so Cage Rage’s 10th event drew to a close, and the audience went away having witnessed first-hand some of the most brutal finishes in all of MMA’s history. Cage Rage continues to go from strength to strength, and if this event doesn’t win over some new fans when it debuts on Sky Sports then I don’t know what will. Fighters already being announced for Cage Rage 11 – Face Off include Ian Freeman, Lee Murray, Anderson Silva, Mark Epstein and the proud returns of Mark Weir, Sol Gilbert and Alex Reid for April 30th. I just hope that this is the event which kicks Cage Rage up a notch and shakes off the annoying niggles of a poor venue and some bad decisions.