Fighters Only

Issue 013

May 2006

February 25^th 2006 South Parade Pier, Portsmouth

Report and photographs by David West

Fighting on a wooden pier above the waves brought to mind the bare-knuckle contest between John L. Sullivan and John Flood on a barge in New York’s Hudson River in 1881. The sold-out crowd tonight could have given the New Yorkers a run for their money with their exuberant support for the combatants in the UK-1 ring. Highlights included featherweights Chris Freeborn, from the Cage Gym in Gosport, taking on Elite’s Mark Smith from London.

Smith tagged Freeborn early with his left and Freeborn rushed to close the distance and take his opponent down. On his back Smith snapped on an arm bar, but ‘The Freak’ picked up Smith for a huge slam to escape the sub then stood over Smith unloading punches. Smith tried to roll out of trouble, but Freeborn took his back, flattened him out and pounded him with his left hand. Referee Mark Woodard asked Smith if he was okay and in reply Smith spat out his gum shield and said “No, I’m fucking not”, which was sufficient for Woodard to stop the contest, giving Freeborn the TKO victory.

Another Londoner, Phil Labar, came out swinging against Phil ‘Billy’ Harris, from Team Warriors, Portsmouth, in another exciting featherweight bout. Labar loaded up on his punches from the get-go, driving big right hands to the body and catching Harris with an uppercut that gave him pause for thought. Harris, a Judo stylist, took the fight to the clinch and brought Labar to the canvas, where the Londoner tried to set up an arm bar. Harris attacked from the half-guard, pausing briefly to try for an ankle lock before passing to mount. There Harris went to work with his right hand, clubbing Labar who rolled to his front, allowing Harris to secure the rear naked choke that ended the match.

Coming off his loss to Sol Gilbert at Cage Rage, Sami “The Hun” Berik was determined not to let BJJ stylist Alex De Sambro work his grappling game. Berik came out of his corner letting it all hang out, throwing frenzied punches, jump knees and elbows, forcing De Sambro on the defensive. When De Sambro managed to clinch, Berik broke off quickly and resumed his attack, exploding with combinations, then backing off only to let rip with another salvo until he knocked De Sambro to the ground in a neutral corner. Berik pounded De Sambro with his left hand until the referee stepped in to save the prone Brazilian from further punishment after a wild and woolly one minute fifty-eight seconds.

Topping the bill, “Gypsy” John O’Malley, from Manchester, faced Steve Cooper, from the Elite team. They swapped kicks until O’Malley drove Cooper into a corner and unloaded a two fisted flurry that forced Cooper to cover up. O’Malley picked up his adversary and dumped him on the floor, taking his back. O’Malley blasted Cooper with one big right hand that landed on the jaw and Cooper went glassy-eyed, badly stunned, which prompted the referee to step in and give O’Malley the KO win.