Following on from their last successful ticket ‘Heat’ Ultimate Challenge UK have another great card lined up for August the 22nd at the Troxy in London’s east end. Four title belts are on the line for this one with the defending champions of Neil Grove, Jimi Manuwa and Brad Pickett taking on some serious contenders. Azran Quasid and Jason Young will also be battling for the current Vacant Lightweight belt.
Heat really is a stacked up card with a lot of talented fighters and so it should prove to be one hell of a show.
Full Roster:
TITLE FIGHT: Grove Vs Hip
UCUK Heavyweight Belt
The main event will see the return of Neil ‘The Goliath’ Grove defending his UCUK Heavyweight Title against seasoned German opponent Markus Hip. Neil has fought his way back from injury sustained in UFC and is looking to cement his place as the top Heavyweight in the UK, after his title clinching win over James McSweeney in December 08. His opponent, Markus Hip, (representing Team Arashi) has been in the cage with Mario Neto and Karlos Vemola and will prove to be a formidable opponent. This will be a collision of two huge men both looking to impose their will and formidable frames over each other; proving to be an unmissable main event.
TITLE FIGHT: Manuwa Vs Blyth
UCUK Light Heavyweight Belt
Jimi Manuwa will be back at Ultimate Challenge UK, looking to maintain his incredible winning streak and hang on to his hard earned Light Heavyweight Title after his awesome performance against a game Ryan Robinson in his last outing. Looking to take the title from him will be Luke Blyth, who has a great all round style and is comfortable standing as well as mixing it up on the floor. Luke is coming off the back of two good wins over Michael Miller (Knee bar) and John Mackie (TKO) and will be looking to push Jimi all the way. This has all the makings of being a great fight and is one to look out for.
TITLE FIGHT: Pickett Vs Lee
UCUK Featherweight Belt
This title defence will feature the current UCUK Featherweight Champion, in the shape of Brad ‘One Punch’ Pickett taking on Cage Rage veteran and one of the pioneers of the sport, Dave Lee. Brad is coming off the back of his great performance over a plucky Dino Gambetesa and will be in no mood to surrender his title easily – Brad’s always looking to entertain with his ferocious striking and great groundwork. Dave Lee, who has fought at 6 previous Cage Rage events, is coming off the back of a great submission win over Vaughn Harvey and will be looking to re-establish himself in the featherweight division. The forums have been buzzing in anticipation of this match up and it will not disappoint.
TITLE FIGHT: Quasid Vs Young
UCUK UK1 Lightweight Belt
Azran Quasid and Jason Young will battle it out for the vacant UCUK UK1 Lightweight title. Both fighters have great stand up skills and this will be an exciting encounter. Young and Quasid like to strike at all times and will be determined to provide an action packed encounter as they both look to walk out of the cage clutching the coveted belt and title. This fight will be fought under UK1 rules which consist of 3 x 2 minute rounds, a mixture of Kickboxing & Thai Boxing, only 1 strike in the clinch and there is no 3 knockdown ruling.
BOSTWICK Vs HEARN (Light Heavyweight)
The light heavyweight bout between Jake Bostwick and Jamie Hearn will be a bruising encounter as both men have heavy hands and have devastating knockout power. Jake will be buoyant after his demolition of Rafik Benziada and will be looking to unload some more bombs to test the chin of Jamie Hearn. Jamie Hearn has a strong boxing background and will be looking to deliver some heavy shots of his own. Both fighters have proven skills on the ground and will be comfortable whether the fight stays standing or hits the mat. One thing is for sure – there will be some heavy blows in this encounter.
DANIELS Vs POLLARD (Heavyweight)
Irving Daniels will be looking to extend his 3-0-0 record against Ashley Pollard in this clash of heavyweights. Daniels has a great all round game and can finish standing up or on the ground. He will be looking to make a positive statement as he continues to climb the heavyweight rankings with solid performances. Pollard has rapidly made a name for himself as a gutsy fighter who never shirks a challenge, as he aptly demonstrated with his last win in just over 29 seconds over Shawn Jones. Although still young, Pollard has already been in with the likes of Ben Smith, Saieed Gholamie and Karlos Vemola and is always looking to improve his all round game, which is already top class.
REED Vs WHEELER (Featherweight)
Paul Reed versus Brad Wheeler pits two great featherweights in what could be one of the highlight fights of the night. Wheeler will be looking to get back to winning ways after his recent defeat to Welshman, Dino Gambetesa and will have a positive mindset as he takes on the tough Paul Reed. Reed is a seasoned veteran and boasts a great record of 9-3-0. He has had some titanic battles with some of the best fighters in this weight division and will prove to be a stern test for the game Wheeler. Reed has strong hands with real great power and is an ominous threat on the floor. This should be a great featherweight battle and a real tussle between two great fighters.
FLETCHER Vs JOHNSON
Wesley Johnson, the MOBO award winning producer will once again be swapping his studio for the cage as he looks to extend his winning streak against the experienced Danny Fletcher. Fletcher has been against some tough competitors over the years and will be a formidable test for the game Johnson.
FACEY Vs DOSKI
Jamaine Facey will be looking to take a much prized scalp in the form of MMA journeyman, Lee Doski. Doski has been entertaining fans with some great fights over the years and always turns up with his A game, no matter who the opponent is. Facey will focus on utilising his unique style to notch up another impressive win as he continues his climb up the welterweight rankings.
Additional mouthwatering match-ups include:
· Adam Avo Vs Tommy Kelly (Welterweight)
· Richard Griffin Vs Andy Gooch (Welterweight)
· Alex Harvey Vs John Kelly (Featherweight)
· Roy Allison Vs Radek Piechnik (Featherweight)
Dave O’Donnell, founder of Ultimate Challenge UK said: “Cage Fighting is the fastest growing sport in the world and is making all the headlines. There’s an explosion of interest in MMA in the UK and we’re constantly delivering the best and most exciting fights to our army of loyal fans.
We’ve really pulled together something special for PAYBACK – even by our standards. With four belts on the line and fighters like Neil Grove, Jimi Manuwa, Brad Pickett, Jake Bostwick and Jamie Hearn together on one fight card, this night sets a new benchmark for UK MMA.
Tickets start at £25 and are available at www.UltimateChallengeUK.com
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