Fighters Only

Issue 011

March 2006

Sheffield, Octagon Centre, Dec 11th 2005

Written and photographed by Hywel Teague

Only one year ago, the Octagon Centre was the venue of choice for all of CageWarriors’ shows. Since then, the organisation has grown exponentially, to the degree where the Octagon Centre is suitable only as the location for their feeder show, Quest.

CageWarriors Quest is a franchise that acts as a springboard for aspiring fighters, and provides the opportunity to fight at both semi-pro and pro level. With an increasing gap between the so-called amateur MMA (with no head shots and held on open mats) and professional competition, Quest strikes a balance between the two that ensures fighters can develop in an environment tailored specifically for them.

Quest always has one or two pro fights topping the card though, and this time it was down to local hero Kayvon Fallah (1-0-0) to take centre stage. Fighting out of Sheffield Shootfighters, Fallah brought a sizeable portion of the sell-out crowd of 850 with him, and the place erupted when his name was announced. With only one fight to his name, you’d think he was a world champion listening to the reception he gets.

Facing Paul Hopkins (Birmingham, 1-6-0) Fallah employed a perfect strategy of outwrestling his opponent and punishing him with strikes. Smashing in punches and hammerfists from top position, Fallah carefully controlled Hopkins for the entire first round, but beat him with serious strikes in a caveman style. Hopkins couldn’t find his way out from under Fallah, and once again on bottom in the second round, Hopkins gave his back to the Sheffield resident. Fallah needed no instruction on what to do, and he ragged on a facebar for the tapout in only 27 seconds.

Easily the most entertaining fight of the evening though, was the back-and-fore semi-pro bout between Paul Cooper of Wakefield and Rob Sinclair of Clitheroe. Not just a namesake of the legendary UK fighter Andy Cooper, Paul is actually the younger brother of the exceptionally hard Yorkshireman. Making his first CageWarriors appearance, Cooper had his hands full with Sinclair, who trains with CageWarriors World Light Heavyweight champion Michael Bisping.

Cooper lifted Sinclair for a big slam in the first round, but the wily Sinclair proved no slouch in grappling, and worked his way out. Trading energetically, they chased each other around the ring throwing punches and leg kicks, though no fighter had the clear advantage. Sinclair utilised some nice no-gi judo into the fight, throwing Cooper twice. Cooper rallied with a massive belly-to-back suplex, and on the mat the fight was just as even, with both fighters gaining mount and letting off big punches.

Sinclair was the better kicker of the two, whereas Cooper had the edge in the boxing, and though evenly matched in grappling Cooper stole his way into mount in the dying seconds of the fight. Left with no easy task, the judges returned a split decision for Cooper.