June was a very unfortunate month for all of the Brits Abroad.
After narrowly losing his Octagon debut in Germany last year, UK MMA pioneer Jim Wallhead (29-11) ventured south of the Equator to Rio de Janeiro in search of his first UFC win. Wallhead’s assignment was 24-year old prospect Luan Chagas (15-2-1), who was winless in his first two UFC outings.
Wallhead struggled throughout the welterweight contest to find his range and was regularly punished with strikes from Chagas, who’s speed advantage was apparent through. As the second round came to a close, Chagas connected cleanly with a counter left-hook, sending Wallhead crashing to the canvas. As the Brit turtled to defend, Chagas slipped his arm under Wallhead’s chin, eventually securing the tap with 12-seconds remaining in the round.
Also in June, Seoul-based welterweight Stuart Gooch (2-4) made his third appearance for South Korean promotion Road FC. Gooch, who has fought UK MMA notables Steve Aimable and Sam Boult, dropped a split decision to Jin Kyu Lee (1-2), bringing his Road FC record to 1-2.
Middleweight journeyman Ashley Gibson (1-5) fought overseas for the first time in June, trekking to Madrid, Spain for his bout on Hombres de Honor 86. Gibson, who has fought 22-times since his MMA debut in March of last year, was rendered unconscious late in the opening stanza thanks to a head-kick from Joan Vila (2-0).
Regular traveller Jack McGann (11-5) made his fifth consecutive appearance on Russian soil in June, battling Nikolay Gaponov (5-1) at Fight Nights Global 69. McGann was rocked with a head-kick in the opening exchanges and despite his attempts to remain vertical, the bout was waived off after a flurry of punches from Gapanov, just 35-seconds into contest.
