Issue 036

April 2008

Text and photos: Jim Page

In an evening’s action that saw no fewer than five guillotine choke finishes, London Shootfighter and stockbroker Francis Heagney put his version of the hold to work as he claimed victory over Italian fighter Francesco Ligato. A neat takedown from Heagney led to some very skilful positional play from the two fighters, but the Irishman cut the night short as he seized on the chance to choke his opponent little over a minute into the contest. 

Polish prospect Popek Rak got the biggest cheer of the night as he controlled the action throughout his heavyweight encounter with Glen Reid. Able to take the fight to the floor at will, Rak battered his game opponent before a terrifying series of heavy hammerfists from mount position led Reid’s corner to throw in the towel.

The unpredictable Sami Berik gave the crowd a 9-second glimpse of his finest form as he smashed Mark Smith to the floor with a brutal left hook, leaving his unconscious opponent convulsing on the mat. Thankfully, Smith made a full recovery to the relief of the entire auditorium.

In the fight of the night, Asran Quasid and Ricky Andrews went to war in an ill-tempered bout. Both fighters had success on their feet, but it was to be Quasid’s night as he landed a stunning right hand to claim a memorable KO win. Uvais Namiev made an extremely impressive debut against Jody Cottham, quickly spiking his foe into the floor and knocking him unconscious with a series of lightning fast left hooks to the jaw.