Issue 027

July 2007

For the past nine years Seni has been Europe's premier exhibition for martial arts, combat sports, fitness and entertainment. Seni07 was no exception, and the presence enjoyed by the sport of MMA was truly astounding.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship and FightDVD had probably the biggest stand that Seni has ever seen, with signing areas, merchandise stalls and even a full-size Octagon! Appearances from UFC stars Michael Bisping, Anderson Silva, Josh Koscheck, Rashad Evans, Antonio Rodrigo 'Minotauro' Nogueira and Jess Liaudin meant queues for autographs stretched far! Even the UFC ring girls Arianny Celeste and Ali Sonoma got in on the act, joining the guys to sign autographs and greet fans. The UFC were also in search of a new Octagon girl, with a talent contest over on the Power Sport Zone stage. Mike Bisping, Rashad Evans and Josh Koscheck had the arduous task of judging and picking a winner from the group of beauties on offer!

We had plenty of fun on our stand -- thanks to everyone who swung by to say hello! Our very own lan Freeman was there meeting and greeting fans - how that man can keep a smile on his face for two days straight is amazing! He genuinely loves his job, and the fans certainly love him.

The new Fighters Only t-shirts were selling really well, it seemed at one point that everyone was walking around wearing one! We also had loads of famous people come by and say hello, with fighters such as James Thompson coming along to pose for photos as well as grab back issues of the magazine.

MMA certainly had a big presence this year - there were loads of people from within the community in attendance, and representatives from all different events and promotions, from the biggest professional outfits to the grass roots amateur events. Cage Rage were busy filming episodes of their 'Cage Fighter' series in the onsite TV studio, while Grant Waterman the UK MMA referee extraordinaire could be seen chatting away with plenty of people on the NFAC stand.

Over in the Power Sport zone, there were plenty of stands for those interested in physical fitness, and competitions for those daring enough to give it a go. The British Natural Bodybuilding Federation even held an amateur contest for those who thought they had the 'guns' for it! Watching this was none other than the behemoth himself, Ronnie Coleman, one of the most successful body builders in the world.

The Fight Sport zone saw plenty of action, with competitions running throughout the weekend. The European Fight Network held this year's Gracie Invitational, one of the biggest Brazilian jiu-jitsu competitions in Europe, with competitors travelling from around Europe to get stuck into the action on the mat. On the other side of the coin there was plenty of hard-hitting action as Ring Masters, a kickboxing competition held under K-1 style rules, took place in the Fight DVD-sponsored ring. A series of tournaments highlighting the best up and comers from the world of kick and Thai boxing, the event even saw a ringside appearance from K-1 legend Ernesto Hoost.

There were plenty of opportunities to spend money, with the nation's vendors all making the trip to London to set up shop for the weekend. Whether you were after the latest fight gear, some new boxing gloves, kettlebells, samurai swords or whatever, all needs were catered for.

The classical arts have always been a big part of Seni and this year was no different, with displays and demonstrations in all manner of esoteric and funky martial arts, with everything from karate to kung fu and tai chi to Typhoo! There were high kicking Shaolin monks, board breaking martial artists and more, and even film stars such as Diana Inosanto.

Rounding off the weekend was the Toe-2-Toe sponsored K-1 MAX kickboxing event 'Pain and Glory', which featured superstars from around the world. All in all, Seni07 was a terrific event for fans and traders alike, and though it was a long weekend, we can't wait for next year's.