Cage Rage UK Presents UCMMA 22: Warrior Creed

In just two days time Cage Rage UK is back presenting UCMMA 22: Warrior Creed from the Troxy Theatre in London, England. The British summer may have given way to wind and showers, but on Saturday night it will be punches, kicks and knees that will be raining down from above. The card marks UCMMA’s PPV debut and as such is headlined by ratings grabber Alex Reid, who tops a bill featuring TUF veterans, top UK prospects, and some of the finest kickboxers in the country. They’re all out to prove that they possess Warrior Creed.
Polarising is probably the best term to describe Alex Reid. If you know the name, then you likely have an opinion of the man and nothing that’s said here will change it. You either respect him for being one of the UK’s most exciting fighters in the early days of the nation’s MMA infatuation and making the most of his opportunities, or you hate him for his tabloid antics and for not taking the sport seriously. Either way, chances are you either want to watch him fight, or would be willing to pay to see him get punched in the face…and that’s exactly what UCMMA are banking on this Saturday night.
Reid’s return after a brief retirement is heralded by the promotion’s debut on Primetime PPV. It’s a bold move for UCMMA, and one that Dave O’Donnell told us last week could put a dent in his wallet if it goes wrong. Still, O’Donnell is not adverse to taking risks, and with Reid’s added celebrity and media buzz, this could very well be one that pays off.
As for the fight, there is nothing to suggest that it’ll be anything less than a barnstorming three rounds of mayhem. People write Reid off because of his record, but how many of them have actually seen him fight? The fact is he’s nothing if not entertaining in the cage; just check out his herculean effort against Tom Watson last year for proof. Pouring fuel on the fire this time is that fact that Reid and his opponent, UCMMA fighter and post-fight interviewer Jason Barrett, genuinely hate each other. That hate unfortunately spilled over into scuffles outside Reid’s gym, and eventually a street brawl outside a restaurant as the pair got carried away with their promotional duties. Speaking to Mike Breton, Barrett apologised for his antics…

“I am sorry. I had to get the fight, I’m here and I’m fighting on pay-per-view and it’s the first for an MMA event in this country and I am humbled and thrilled to be a part of it. However, I don’t condone the fights in the street and again I don’t condone some of the antics I made. The die hard MMA fans have been a bit upset by it and I can see where they’re coming from. I do understand it but me and Alex are both entertainers. We are sport people, we are fighters and we are professionals, but entertaining is a part of our character. Everybody has to be given the freedom to express themselves and their personalities. What I don’t want is people coming up to me or even Alex or any other fighter and thinking that it’s the best way to get a fight.”

Reid meanwhile has not risen to the bait, but has faced criticism for not taking the fight seriously. As far as he’s concerned though, his celebrity status and media presence is a way of helping to drag MMA into the mainstream.

“People outside of MMA aren’t really interested in the sport. If I had it my way all I would do all day is train, eat sleep and practice my Martial Arts. I’m not being arrogant or ignorant about my celebrity, I’m using what I’ve got to actually raise the awareness of MMA. All I do is talk about MMA in every interview but the press aren’t interested they just want to know what’s going on in my personal life. I’m boxing clever with the media to raise the awareness of MMA. I love MMA and I am a pioneer of the sport in this country and I am using every tool available to try and raise awareness. People think I am a joke but hang on a minute, I do feel really proud of what I have done for MMA in this country making it more socially acceptable.”

Regardless of your views on the fighters, the fact is that between them they share just seven decision in 28 fights…it’s an often repeated cliché, but on Saturday night, someone’s getting knocked out.
For those of you who like your fights with a little more celebrity, UCMMA 22 has also got you covered. Co-headlining the evening’s festivities is a mouth-watering K-1 rules bout between TUF veteran Dean Amasinger and British kickboxing superstar Luke Sines. Amasinger, known more for his grappling than his striking, stepped up on just over a week’s notice to replace the injured Tom ‘Kong’ Watson. The Roughhouse prospect will have to rely on his Muay Thai roots against Sines, but that’s easier said than done. The vaunted striker has tasted defeat just twice in over 25 pro bouts and has never been finished.
Elsewhere on the card top UK MMA prospects Iain ‘Bad Man’ Martell and Karl Lawrence will duke it out to decide who is the premier up and comer in the UK’s sparse light-heavyweight ranks. Martell has been highly touted as the next big thing, and the Norwich-based banger might have finally found someone brave enough to stand with him in Lawrence. Don’t expect to hear the final bell here.

So we’ve had celebrity superfights, kickboxing and some hot prospects…how about some women’s fights too? UMMA 22 features two female fights, as Muay Thai wrecking machine Michel Tyler takes on Joachim Hansen-trained JEWLES vet Celene Haga and veteran kickboxer and MMA MILF Karen Ousey faces Anna Zuccelli. The Tyler-Haga fight will mark the first time that a female MMA bout has been broadcast on Sky Sports.
Rounding out the card are a UK-1 (K-1 rules, MMA gloves) title fight between Valentino Petrescu and Jamie Hearn, both stepping up from middleweight for a 205lb contest, and a potentially explosive clash between UK veteran Jack ‘Stone’ Mason and highly regarded newcomer Miguel Bernard.


The full card is as follows:
Live on Primetime PPV
Alex Reid vs Jason Barrett
Luke Sines vs Dean Amasinger (K-1)
Karl Lawrence vs Iain Martell
Andy McEwan vs Spencer Hewitt
Karen Ousey vs Anna Zuccelli
Sky Sports Card (aired Wednesday, August 10^th)
Valentino Petrescu vs Jamie Hearn (UK-1)
Darren Towler vs Tomasz Cerwinski
Miguel Bernard vs Jack Mason
Chris Harman vs Przemyslaw Misiek
Celene Haga vs Michelle Tyler
Romy Da Silva vs Louis King
Sam Morrison vs Charlie Francis
All the action goes down live from the Troxy Theatre in East London on Saturday night. Tickets are still available from UCMMA.com, and fans can catch the action internationally on Primetimelive.co.uk or channel 480 on Sky/Virgin Media in the UK. Thanks to Mike Breton of Halo PR for the Alex Reid and Jason Barrett quotes.