Almighty Fighting Championships returned to the city of Leeds last weekend with yet another impressive amateur fight card at the Brain and Brawn Fitness Centre, this being the first of their smaller “Fight Night” events.
The venue was more modest than their previous home at the O2 Academy in the city centre, but the fights were genuinely incredible. There was a very noticeable jump in the class of their fighters compared to the last card. The night was comprised entirely of amateur bouts, but judging by some of the talent that we saw in there, it would’ve been easy to assume otherwise.
The headline bout was a spectacular matchup between two highly experienced undefeated fighters in Igor Puskarskis and Fabian Edwards, brother of rising UFC star Leon Edwards, and it certainly didn’t disappoint. Both have a bright, bright future in MMA.
Also featured on the card were the first phase of both a lightweight and middleweight tournament, the winners of which will fight on Almighty’s next show on the 11th of February in the same venue. Certainly something to look forward to.
From top to bottom regardless of age and experience, pretty much every fighter showed a degree of skill and maturity well above what we have come to expect from UK amateurs. This is surely a sign of the explosion in popularity of mixed martial arts in the UK, and it seems like Almighty Fighting Championships are being instrumental in the growth of the sport in the North of England.
Below we feature results and a detailed play by play of all 21 fights from the prelims to the main event. Take our word for it, they’re worth a read:
JJ Jones vs. Brian Kenwright (Amateur B Class)
Round 1
JJ takes down his opponent, taking advantage of his reckless footwork. Kenwright threatens with a guillotine as his opponent presses up against cage. JJ completes takedown into side control. Kenwright reverses, gets caught in mounted triangle. Isn’t locked in but JJ maintains mount, round ends.
Round 2
Tentative standup turns into wrestling exchange, JJ pushes opponent up against fence, trying very hard for the takedown. Completes single but Kenwright pops up. Circles out and starts tuning up his opponent with combinations. JJ completes a massive takedown that slams the canvas. They resume standing. Another slam from JJ. Round ends.
Round 3
Kenwright looks a little fatigued, gets taken down against cage again. JJ opts to stand. This time Kenwright gets the big takedown. JJ eventually reverses, gets side control, moves to mount. Loses it after a failed armbar attempt, they stand. JJ gets a clean hip toss in the clinch. They stand again. Kenwright with a decent wheelkick attempt that nearly lands. Fight ends.
JJ Jones wins via Unanimous Decision
Zach Fry vs. Liam McCracken (Amateur B Class) – Flyweight
Round 1
Slip off a kick by Fry, lands on his back McCracken takes advantage. Guillotine attempt by McCraken, failed the first one but Fry taps to the second. 58 seconds.
McCracken wins via Submission (Guillotine Choke) 0.58 of Round 1
Andy Smith vs. Pav Sohota (Amateur) – 63kg Catchweight
Round 1
Smith lands first, and trips Sohata, getting into side control. Smith takes Sohatas back. Attempts the rear naked choke. Smith maintains back control, landing shots. Sohota manages to turn, and pass into side control. Manages to take the back himself, and very quickly sinks in an RNC.
Sohota wins via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) 2:21 of Round 1
Gavin McTear vs. Brandon Elwell
Round 1
Furious legs kicks exchanged right off the bat. McTear lands several big straight rights. Elwell puts a stop to the chaos with a well time takedown, McTear tries to get back to his feet against the cage. Elwell picks his opponent up and slams, tries to establish side control but gets caught in the guard. Lands a few big shots there. Big shots exchanged again on the feet. Elwell opts to take his opponent down even though he’d visibly hurt him with a couple of vicious left hooks.
Round 2
Another clean left hook by Elwell right off the glove touch, he then level changes and establishes side control. Is easily reversed, McTear now in Elwell’s guard. Elwell sits up into mount, sloppy from McTear. Heavy ground and pound ensues. Referee steps in.
Elwell wins via TKO (Ground and Pound) 1:28 of Round 2
Patrick Deyna vs. David Birtles – Bantamweight
Round 1
Strong leg kicks by Deyna to start, then lands the suplex. Knee to the body when getting up from Birtles. Heavy stand up exchange, both trading blows. Takedown by Deyna. Armbar win by Deyna.
Deyna wins via Submission (Armbar) – 1.35 of Round 1
Mamil Kobidov vs. Eddie Calmo
Round 1
No glove touch from Calmo. Some scrappy stand up, Eddie pushes his opponent against the cage and establishes side control. Knee on belly from Calmo, maintains this position and lands multiple right hands in succession. Mamil wallwalks to his feet and eats some knees to the body from Calmo. They separate, Calmo eats a couple of straight shots but takes his opponent down into side control once again. He slides into mount, round ends.
Round 2
Calmer start to the round. They trade leg kicks. Calmo seems susceptible to the straight shots, but dominant in the clinch. Pushes his opponent against the cage again. They seperate, Calmo eats more straight shots but lands a really meaningful overhand of his own. Gets an outside trip and ends up in side control once again. Calmo opts again for the knee on belly. Though his work looks a lot more laboured now. Round ends, Calmo seems gassed.
Round 3
Same story, Kobidov lands a one two but stumbles into the clinch, Calmo takes him down and establishes side control. Kobidov summons the strength to push Calmo away briefly, but he sticks like glue. Full guard now. Fight ends, Calmo is bloodied up.
Eddie Calmo wins via Unanimous Decision.
Tommy Coyle vs. James Gough – Welterweight
Round 1
Strong couple of leg kicks from Gough to start, he continues landing several. Both are standing and trading shins, followed by a big takedown for Gough getting into guard. Coyle working off his back landing shots to the side. Coyle reverses into full mount raining shots, which miss to begin with and then break through Gough’s defence to win via TKO. 2:31
Coyle wins via TKO (Ground and Pound) at 2:31 of Round 1
Main card
Jack Paddison vs. Adam Butterworth – Featherweight
Round 1
Paddison finding his distance with a few leg kicks. Butterworth takes down Paddison, into half guard. Butterworth takes his opponent’s back, tries for the RNC. He’s unsuccessful but now into mount. Paddison reverses and they stand. Round ends.
Round 2
Big takedown from Paddison and straight into side control. Controlling Butterworth, by keeping his forearm in his face. Changes of position on the ground but Butterworth ends back up on top. Paddison reversed and then back again, with Butterworth ending up in guard. Butterworth switches to side control and pins Paddison up against the cage. Strong round for Butterworth controlling Paddison for most the round.
Round 3
They go for the touch of gloves with Paddison going for the front kick immediately after. A quick response from Butterworth and Paddison is taken back down. Reverse from Paddison sees him ontop but not in an effective position. Butterworth shoots for the triangle and gets it, Paddison taps.
Butterworth wins via Submission (Triangle Choke) 1:40 of Round 3
Richard Mearns vs. Adam Jones
Round 1
Tentative stand-up to start the round. Mearns has very clean boxing, lands few quick shots and manages to avoid damage, throwing in the occasional inside leg kick. Mearns switches stances constantly, making things hard for AJ. AJ goes for the takedown, it gets stuffed and he eats a nice right hand on the break.
Round 2
AJ pushes forward aggressively but Mearns stays clinical with the striking, landing shots moving backwards. He maintains distance with the jab. AJ shows no fear and does occasionally manage to land, but usually at the price of eating more than one shot. Mearns uses a beautiful check knee to the body when AJ moves in. Referee Neil Hall calls the doctor in to look at the rapidly worsening cut on AJ’s eye. Doctor calls an end to the fight, to the disgust of Jones’ contingent in the crowd. Mearns is a VERY impressive striker.
Mearns wins via TKO (Cut) 2:32 of Round 2
Middleweight Tournament
Scott McLellan vs. Justin Burlinson
Round 1
Burlinson single-legs McLellan’s and gets into side mount. McLellan’s attempted reversal was stuffed and Burlinson snatches a Kimura, getting the tap – 2:04
Burlinson wins via Submission (Kimura) at 2:04 of Round 1
Sebastian Sroka vs. Matty Hodgson
Round 1
Matty wastes no time and bundles his opponent up against the cage, takes him down swiftly and moves into side control. His opponent recovers guard but Matty postures up, landing shots and advancing, quickly snatches back mount, threatening with the rear naked. Sroka escapes the back mount and stacks Hodgson, passing to side and then taking seatbelt control from the back, riding him against the cage. Round ends.
Round 2
Hodson starts the round by dropping his opponent with two overhand rights. Sroka turtles up as Hodgson rains down some powerful ground and pound, the referee stops the fight.
Hodgson wins via TKO at 0:24 of Round 2
Lightweight tournament
Mark Stredder vs Andy Dent
Round 1
Dent starts off with a low leg kick. Big body kick from Stredder partially blocked by Dent. Left straight and right leg nearly dropped Stredder. He responds with a decent head kick. Both men standing up working in leg kicks and a few to the body. Dent lands a lovely right uppercut to the body. Stredder is pinned up to the cage fighting off the takedown. End the round by trading knees.
Round 2
Dent keeps hitting that right leg kick which has been landing. Stredder replies with a strong left kick to the body. Stredder advancing pushing his opponent up to the cage lading a clean straight left in the process. He pushes him up to the cage landing knees, looking for the takedown and gets it. Dent is taking blows, defending enough to survive but barely. S keeps working Dent head and body, posturing up and letting the blows rain down. Ref calls the fight.
Stredder wins via TKO (Ground and Pound) at 2:36 of Round 2
Nic Pirogan vs Aaron Talent
Round 1
Pirogan starts unorthadox, throwing more than one front kick to the face. The action is paused due to an accidental eye poke from Pirogan.
Action resumes. Pirogan lands a big 1-2, followed by a big head kick that just misses. Another 1-2 lands. Pirogan is getting into his stride, moving forward and landing shots. He backs his opponent up against the cage, unleashing combinations, about 50% of the shots land. The headkick is looking dangerous. Aaron lands an accidental groin kick which causes a halt to Pirogan’s momentum. However he is quick to resume, landing a big right hook with stuns Aaron. A spinning backfist lands on the guard of Aaron, who is visibly rocked by the onslaught. Things look bad for Aaron. Round ends.
Round 2
Aaron tries to be aggressive but eats a big right straight. Pirogan whips up a headkick that lands on the guard of Aaron but has a lot of force. Aaron level changes and picks up Pirogan to his corner, slamming him down against the fence. Aaron is struggling to maintain the takedown as Pirogan uses the fence to his advantage. Pirogan threatens with the guillotine in the last ten seconds, it looks tight but the klaxon goes.
Round 3
Pirogan lands some shots up against the cage and tries to level change, they clinch against the fence. Pirogan loses his balance and Talent ends up on top. Pirogan gets an incredibly tight triangle, then mounts using it. A struggle ensues and Pirogan manages to get the tap with an inverted triangle from back mount, impressive.
Pirogan via Submission (Inverted Triangle) at 2:06 of Round 3
Danny Williams vs. Emil Niedzwiecki
Round 1
Williams is energetic on his feet landing a few blows. Niedzwiecki lands a spinning backfist, then drives his opponent against the fence and gets the takedown. Williams reverses the takedown and is now on top landing blows, transitioning between full mount and back control, raining the blows down with little defense from Niedzwiecki. He gives up his back and taps to the rear naked.
Williams via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 2:10 of Round 1
Oscar Ownsworth vs. David Bowmer
Round 1
Bowmer opens up with the kicks early, inside leg, front, and front leg head kick. He ducks under Oscar’s response and lands the double leg, establishing side control against the cage. Bowmer advances to mount and lands a flurry of ground and pound that forces Oscar to give up his back. Bowmer sinks in the rear naked and goes palm to palm, forcing Oscar to tap.
Bowmer via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) 2:33 of Round 1
Dawid Oskar vs Ash Roden – Light Heavyweight
Round 1
Roden lands with a straight right, controlling the centre of the cage. He pushes Oskar back and taking him down into half guard. Roden tries the transition to his back, but manages to move into full mount landing a flurry of shots. Roden gets the arm triangle locked from mount
Roden win via Submission (Arm Triangle) 2:12 of Round 1
Chris Green vs. Dawid Zan
Round 1
A wild exchanges leads to Zan pushing his opponent against the fence. Green reverses him but eats a few shots in the process. They separate and continue trading shots. Both men are landing. Zan pushes his opponent against the cage again, and manages to secure his hands around the hips and briefly gets the takedown. Green marches straight forward throwing straight shots and leg kicks with conviction but little precision. He takes his opponent down but Zan is threatening with a triangle from his back, but it’s far from complete He continues to try to set up arm bars, triangles and sweeps but all fail. Round ends
Round 2
Yet another wild exchange leads to a battle against the fence, Zan gets a takedown but Green gets back up. Again Green marches forward, landing repeated leg kicks and straight punches. It’s predictable, but effective. Zan has not heeded the advice of his corner, who between rounds implored him to circle away when striking. Green is putting on the pressure, has Zan against the fence, but gets reversed. Green finishes the round on top with Zan turtled up.
Round 3
Starts in the same way as previous rounds. Zan manages to hold Green to the mat against the fence for an extended period of time. Ends the round landing big shots against the cage as Green shows heart and makes the effort to work his way back to his feet despite the damage.
Dawid Zan wins via Unanimous Decision
Jake Hadley vs. Liam Gittins – Flyweight
Round 1
The two start by trading a few blows with Gittins landing a lovely kick to the body. Hadley lands a big left straight. The two stand up finding their reach. Gittins connects with another strong kick to the body, but Hadley doesn’t allow his opponent to pick up momentum as the two continue to trade the odd kicks and punches in the centre of the ring. Hadley charges towards Gittens and gets him on the cage, with Gittens reversing it pushing up tight to the cage. The klaxon sounds and the pair fall a few meters across the cage onto each other, tripping over the referee.
Round 2.
The pair start off how most of the first went, standing in the middle trading shots at range. Gittens catches a leg kick from and manages to get him to the ground. Hadley was able to stand and moved his opponent up to the cage working his body. The pair reverse each other a number of times up against the cage. Knees from both sides come in trying to find room. Gittens manages to connect his hands around his opponent’s waist up against the cage and dumps him to the ground, where the round ends with Gittens on top.
Round 3
Gittens comes out landing a big kick to the mid-section and then a flurry of punches to put his opponent up against the cage forcing him to the floor where he fails an attempted Kimura. Gittens locks his opponent in a reverse triangle, landing massive punches to the body. They stay in this position for a long time, Gittens even puts his hands behind his head Nick Diaz style in mock boredom. Gittens eventually loses his leg grip and Hadley explodes out getting on top. He postures up and gets a few strong shots in but it’s all a little too late in the round.
Round 4
Gittens looking the more active at the start but goes in too strong with Hadley managing to get the takedown, sliding into half guard. With Gittens’ hand behind his back, Hadley landed some heavy hits to his face before his opponent manages to roll to his front. Hadley gets back on top and establishes full mount. Gittens pushes off the cage but only rolls into and attempted triangle. What a round for Hadley dominating on the floor and some unlucky submission attempts.
Round 5
The two shake hands and hug at the start, this has been an incredible bout and the two acknowledge it. Hadley shoots for the takedown but strong defence from Gittens allows him to push his opponent onto his back. A strong reversal allows Hadley to get the arm triangle attempt but to no avail. The two enter a sprawl getting up with Gittens pinning Hadley up on the cage and trying to take his back. The fight ends
Liam Gittins wins via Unanimous Decision
Jordan Baxter vs. Khalid Patel
Round 1
Big leg kick from Baxter, ducks under for a takedown and tries to establish side control but Patel is very mobile off his back. They opt to stand. Patel lets the takedown happen and falls to his back in a controlled manner. Baxter jumps on Patel’s back in a scramble as Patel stands against the cage. As they fall, Baxter grabs the rear naked but Patel defends diligently, grabbing his hands and surviving well. However, Baxter adjusts by hiding his hand deep behind Patel’s head and finishes a vice-like rear naked choke.
Baxter via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 2:24 of Round 1
Baxter is the new AFC Amateur Flyweight Champion
Fabian Edwards vs. Igor Puskarskis
Round 1
The two measure each other up tentatively. Puskarskis goes first landing a huge overhand right which develops into a scramble. Fight stopped breifly for an alleged illegal knee to the face – dubious. Big right hand drops Igor and a few more connect on the ground. Edwards has crazy power. Edward makes his opponent stand again and throws more blows his way. Edwards’ straight left lands to Igor’s chest, sending him backwards, that punch has been landing time and time again. A few more front kicks to Puskarskis’ chest land and the klaxon sounds.
Round 2
Edwards confidently walks straight over to Puskarskis at the start. Big swing and a miss from Igor with and overhand right. Edwards ducks down and connects again with that left. They move around the mat, Edwards lands a massive head kick, then the most savage kick to the groin I have ever seen. It looks like the fight could be over. However Igor psychs himself up after the stoppage and looks like hes going to continue. The referee docks Edwards. 2 points. It’s a tense restart and Igor shows huge heart and lands a massive head kick. Edwards then comes on the attack with a number of kicks of his own. Edwards is on the attack again, battering Igor around the cage. However Igor still manages to return fire.
Round 3
Due to the point deduction, the winner of this round wins the fight. Both come out on the attack trading heavy blows, this is anyone’s at the moment. They stand in the middle sizing each other up again before an inevitable exchange. This has been a much more tentative round. Igor shoots for the takedown and gets it with massive noise made from his fans, lands in Edwards’ guard. Edwards reverses and gets into Igor’s full guard. Edwards starts laughing audibly, landing hammerfists and calling Igor all kinds of names right in front of our press table. The fight ends.
Edwards wins via Unanimous Decision
