Issue 001

March 2005

The Doctor: Dr. James Gossow MB ChB, MRCGP 

Dr. James Gossow MB ChB, MRCGP works as a GP in the North East area and provides medical cover for martial arts events. 

What does a pre-fight medical involve?

These are performed on the afternoon of the competition by a doctor and are compulsory for all fighters to ensure that they are medically fit to compete. Normally lasting about 10–15 minutes, it starts with a clinical history — including name, date of birth, contact number, etc — then any current or previous medical problems that may be relevant are discussed (for example, previous injuries or surgery or current problems such as asthma). I also like to know any medication the fighter is taking or any allergies he/she may have to medication. After that a clinical examination is performed, where the pulse, blood pressure, heart sounds, lungs and neurology are all assessed. All this information is recorded on a set questionnaire. Any fighter who is deemed medically unfit will not compete.

What does the doctor do before a fight?

Firstly, I only like to work with organisations and/or people I know, as I am only happy providing cover for well-run and properly-organised events. I always like to have it in writing from the organisers that the fights are licensed by the council and that the medical cover I provide meets the licensing requirements. On the day itself I normally arrive some six to seven hours earlier than the first fight — this is partly to complete all the medicals, but also to assess the venue for suitable exits or access to changing rooms. I also like to go through our kit with my colleague, the resuscitation officer, and also work through potential dummy scenarios of injuries we might see (it’s important we work quickly and effectively as a team). After that we have to ensure that we are sitting next to the ring and have rapid access to our equipment. All this has to be done before the first round starts.

What equipment does the doctor carry in case of injury?

For any fight, I like to be prepared for pretty much any scenario. Fortunately, injuries are relatively uncommon and usually relatively minor, like cuts and soft tissue injuries, although I have seen more serious injuries. As my colleague is a resuscitation officer it means that between us we can provide a comprehensive list of appropriate medication, such as pre-filled syringes of cardiac drugs like adrenaline in case of arrest, diazepam in case of fitting from head injury, nebulised salbutamol in case of asthma, etc. We also carry dressings, Vaseline, steristrips and sutures for cuts, along with more major equipment such as venflons, giving sets and IV fluids. We also have airways, masks, oxygen cylinders, defibrillator, nebuliser, cervical collars, etc. All in all, this accumulates into four bags of potentially life saving equipment.

The Promoter: Dave O’ Donnell

Dave O’Donnell founded the Elite Fighting System (EFS) in South London, to teach and train side by side with some of the future stars of the martial arts world. Inspired by the likes of the Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC) and Pride, Dave become an all-round martial artist and devised his own fighting system using effective street defence techniques.

Currently, Dave now co-promotes Cage Rage — the largest mixed martial arts event in Europe. The Cage Rage doors opened a few years ago, travelling from local sports centres, to the York Hall, and now to the Wembley Conference Centre, which has a seating capacity of 3,000. His dream is to hold the event at Wembley Arena.

Dave still teaches regularly at the EFS, which is only a part-time club but it has had huge media coverage, including a six-part television series for the ITV. Other television appearances for Dave include ‘Richard and Judy’, where he was able to discuss the future sport of cage fighting, and he also co-presented Cage Rage, a television programme that ran for 12 weeks on Sky TV. 

Did you ever believe that Cage Rage would become as big as it has?

Andy Geer and I stepped out into the danger zone with our first promotion in September 2002 and even though we managed to pull Ian ‘The Machine’ Freeman refereeing, Frank Shamrock as special guest star, 15 top class fights and a packed house, we said to ourselves, ‘never again’! People would never believe how much preparation it takes to organise a show. However, following all the great reviews, we were talked into doing it again. From that day, we have strived to put on better shows each time even with our very limited budget. At Cage Rage 2 we brought in Royce Gracie as a special guest and referee to one of the bouts. We also had the ITV film crew filming two bouts to promote Cage Combat, which was a huge success. Right from the start we have had good people around us. Working together was/is a key factor and we have said it time and time again: ‘Together we stand, divided we fall’. We are now at Cage Rage 10 and are scheduled for Wembley Conference Centre for another five shows and, fingers crossed, if all goes well, we could be at the stadium next year!

At present you seem to have the top fighters in the country fighting on Cage Rage, plus international stars including UFC and Pride vets — how do you manage this?

Our reputation for putting on good fights and successfully managing the fighters has given us the opportunity to go to greater depths in maintaining excellent relationships with top UK and overseas trainers. For Cage Rage, it’s not just about watching the fights, it’s the prep work behind the scenes to ensure every fight is personally and individually tailored to each unique fighter. Now that our reputation has grown internationally we get e-mails every day from fighters that you wouldn’t even believe. We will even shock ourselves with some of the fights we will get together in the latter part of the year! We believe that if you treat the fighters well, they will be queuing up to come back — and that is certainly what is happening now.

Where do you see Cage Rage being in 2006?

After all the blood, sweat and tears over the past ten shows, it certainly seems to be paying off with our fan/contact base. Everyone around us believes that we will hit mainstream soon. Let’s face it, this is the sport of the future and the future has just begun. We are in negotiations with major TV stations, games and PR companies, and DVD deals have already been struck.. It’s hard to say where we will be, as week by week there is another phone call with new ideas and new sponsorship coming. It only takes one big one and we could be made, then all I will say is, ‘Hold on to your seats, because if you think our shows are good now, you ain’t seen nothing yet!’

The Nutritionist: James Collier BSc (Hons) RNutr 

James runs the popular bodybuilding website www.MuscleTalk.co.uk and is a nutrition consultant.  His ebook Informed Bodybuilding Nutrition through MuscleTalk or www.bodybuilding-diets.co.uk. Website: www.muscletalk.co.uk

What do I need to eat to gain weight?

The key to healthy, quality-weight gain is to eat big and eat consistently throughout the day following a structured meal plan. Aim to eat seven to eight smaller meals/snacks rather than three big meals. Include plenty of high protein food choices, like lean meat, chicken, fish, eggs, and milk; high-fiber, complex carbs like cereals, bread, pasta, rice, and potatoes; and fruit and vegetables (don’t forget nuts and pulses are also good sources of protein). 

Timing of meals is important — spread your meals regularly throughout the day. It is also very important that you eat good amounts of protein and carbs after training. Some protein and weight gain supplements can also be useful aids to packing on the bulk, but not in place of good wholesome food.

The occasional junk food meal need not be avoided — but it must only be occasionally, say once every couple of weeks. If you want to read more about gaining quality weight see the meal plan and article on page 60.

What should I eat before and after workouts? 

Obviously, this depends on your goals. Firstly, let’s assume you’re wanting to bulk up. Energy levels to fuel training will depend on your entire diet and nutrition, although pre-workout nutrition can give you that edge. Have simple carbs for short bursts of energy, but also fibrous complex carbs for more sustained energy to keep you training hard towards the end of your workout. However, don’t eat just before a workout as this may bloat you and may actually stop your workout ‘buzz’. Energy drinks based on caffeine can also be useful — but don’t depend on them. 

I must emphasize that the most important factor for energy during a workout is good nutrition post-workout. After training, a good quality whey protein drink in water will get straight to the muscles. Follow this up with rapidly absorbed carbohydrates, either from supplements or food. This not only gives you good nutrition for growth but will also help refuel those worked muscles to help them recover ready for your next workout.

If, however, you are wanting to lose a little body fat, you’re best off not relying too much on carbs — though do not omit them completely, as you’ll still need them for optimal exercise performance.

The Fighter: Ian ‘The Machine’ Freeman

Ian ‘The Machine’ Freeman who, to date, with British, European and World titles under his belt not to mention being a veteran and only British man to fight in no less than six Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC) in America, remains the most successful and recognized professional British fighter in the sport. Website: www.ianthemachine.tv

Do all fighters have to fight as amateurs before they fight professionally?

No, not at all, but obviously, this is down to the individual. A long time ago I used to think that you had to fight as an amateur before you could turn pro, but it depends on a number of things. For example, if you are a pure submission grappler with no ground ‘n’ pound skill, then I would advise you to start as amateur to get the ring experience and knowledge of the fight game. If you are a good grappler but not very good at submissions then I would advise learning ground ‘n’ pound and fighting professionally. Why? If you’re not very good at submissions, why fight amateur when all the fights will be submission attempts? The same goes for just being a pure submission fighter — why go professional when you could get hurt by the ground ‘n’ pound fighter? If you’re an all-rounder, then you have all areas covered. After all, there are many feeder shows available now, where they cater for first-time professional fighters.

If I became a professional MMA fighter can I still fight amateur from time to time? 

Because there is no governing body in MMA you are free to fight at any level you wish. For me, it is a personal thing. Why go back to amateur when you have successfully entered the professional ranks? What might be better is to fight in submission tournaments instead of amateur MMA events. This way you can test your skills against good-level jiu-jitsu or wrestling specialists without the strikes. Not only will it improve your submission skills, but it will also improve your submission defense. But remember, when you go back to MMA, you cannot afford to leave your head exposed like you can in submission grappling. 

I have wanted to start competing in MMA but my sensei will not allow me to do so yet. What can I do? 

There could be many reasons why your sensei will not allow you to compete in MMA. Although I do not want to hurt your feelings, your sensei may feel you are not ready yet. Alternatively, he may object to MMA events, or it may be that he cannot face defeat if you lose while representing his club, or he may not know where he can get you a fight. All I can say is, if you trust your sensei, then believe in his decision — after all, he should know best. If you’re not sure how to get a fight at an MMA event, check promotional adverts for telephone numbers. Call them up and explain your situation — that’s what I did to get started. If all else fails, you or your sensei can contact me via the e-mail address below. Good luck.