Brits Abroad: October

Despite a bitter October for the majority of the ‘Brits Abroad’, the month actually started out on a positive note, with Stuart “He-Man” Austin (11-3) successfully making his light-heavyweight debut on October 1.

Austin, who had previously competed as a heavyweight for BAMMA and Bellator MMA, fought in Espoo, Finland on the inaugural European Fighting Championship event. It was an easy night for Austin, who quickly dispatched of Dutchman Nills Van Noord (15-8-2) midway through the opening stanza, courtesy of strikes.

Also in action on October 1 was TSG product Leszek Krakowski (10-1), who suffered his first professional defeat on the KSW 36: Materla vs. Palhares card. Krakow ski fell victim to the slick grappling of Kleber Koike Erbst (21-4-1), submitting in the first round to Erbst’s patented triangle choke.

The following weekend saw #UKMMA journeyman Shaun Lomas (21-63) head over to Athens, Greece, in the main event of GFC 7. Lomas was able to take Stamatis Moroulis (9-2) to the third round, before eventually tapping to a rear-naked choke, the ninth loss of the year for Lomas.

Up next were David Round (15-19) and Declan Williams (11-10), who ventured over to Stockholm, Sweden on October 10 for Superior Challenge’s fourteenth instalment. Round was up first, fighting Sadibou Sy (5-2), who is the lone blemish on welterweight prospect Carl Booth’s record. In an embarrassing turn of events for Round, the Welshman gestured to Sy to attack by putting his hands down, only for the Swede to react immediately, flooring Round with the fight-ending head-kick, which you can see HERE. The loss was Round’s third straight since his upset knockout of Sean Carter earlier this year.

Williams was also unsuccessful, submitting to a guillotine choke from Martin Akhtar (9-3) in the second round. Akhtar has now won five-straight since losing to Ed Arthur two years ago, Williams meanwhile is winless in his last three.

Meanwhile, over in Brasov, Romania, Jordan Miller (15-16) and Ben Schneider (3-12) took to the cage in the Real Xtreme Fighting 24 event. Miller, who fought earlier in the year for the promotion, succumbed to a guillotine choke in the second round of his welterweight affair with Aurel Pitrea (10-8). Schneider also endured a rough evening, after suffering an 86-second knockout loss courtesy of Cristian Mitrea (5-0).

Three-time UFC competitor James McSweeney (15-15) suffered his the tenth TKO stoppage loss of his career in October, falling to the unbeaten Tai “Bam Bam” Tuivasa (5-0). The heavyweight bout, which served as the Australian Fighting Championship 17 main event, ended between round one and two, as McSweeney’s corner threw in the towel to save their man.

Last, but certainly not least, was Luke Morton (2-2), who fought on the HIT Fighting Championship 3 card, from Maag Halle in Zurich, Switzerland. Morton was given the unenviable task of providing Glory and K-1 veteran Anderson ‘Braddock’ Silva (2-0) with his second MMA bout. Perhaps surprisingly, Morton dropped Silva with right-hand in the opening exchanges, only for the Brazilian to ensnare Morton moments later in the triangle choke, forcing the Brit to submit.