Jamie was really nervous on the night, his fight was the main event and we knew Anthony, who looked the stronger of the two had good boxing skills. Jamie started off very well using his footwork to keep away from his opponents big punches and scored well with his long knee and low kicks. Anthony landed a few good kicks and scored well with punches but Jamie tied him up in the clinch immediately landing some excellent wing knees to Anthonys body and was winning in the clinch. The fight was close in the early rounds but we felt Jamie won the first 2 rounds but by the 3rd started to look tired. Anthony’s boxing remained sharp throughout the fight and he started to land some solid punches in the 3rd and 4th round and Jamie looked in trouble a few times but he kept moving and tying Anthony up in the clinch and managed to survive to the last round. He was really tired going into the final round but he needed a strong round and he gave everything. Unfortunately it wasn’t enough and the final decision was a points win for Anthony. This was a great fight to watch with both fighters showing good skill and Anthony remarked after that it was his toughest fight to date, a real compliment to Jamie.

The venue was a big stadium and the show had 34 bouts with Thomas’ fight being top of the bill. It was sanctioned by IFMA (Thailand) and the Greek Federation.

James Ogden vs Andrealus Nikolaus

James, who has had 11 fights and usually fights at 76/77kg was matched with a local Greek fighter who fights at 82kg and has had 30+ fights and is known for his big punches and knockouts.

James started off well landing strong leg kicks and using his ringcraft well to avoid the big punches. Towards the end of the 1st round the Greek landed a solid right hand that rocked James a little but he cleverly tied the Greek up in the clinch and got back into the fight. The 2nd and 3rd rounds were pretty much the same with James starting to use his long knee more and some of the leg kicks were visibly hurting the Greek who was prepared to exchange the kicks and knees to land his big punch. By the 4th and 5th rounds James had taken a few big punches but managed to stay out of trouble and was scoring with his leg kick and long knee on a regular basis. James looked the better fighter using a wider range of Muay Thai skills; the Greek was obviously heavier and stronger than James and relied on his boxing skills constantly looking for the big knockout. The judges scored the punches higher than the kicks and knees and the decision went to the Greek fighter.

James’ performance was excellent and gained much respect from the Greek crowd and his opponent who personally came into the changing room after to pay him respect explaining it was one of the toughest fights he’d had.

Thomas McCormick vs Seangagatit ‘Boo’ Sasiprapa

This was a great opportunity for Thomas who has only had 25 fights against Boo who has had over 200 fights.

The 1st round was very Thai style with both fighters settling into the round slowly. Thomas had the higher work rate scoring with more kicks and catching Boo’s kick and taking him down towards the end of the round. In the 2nd round Boo stepped up the pace coming forward constantly looking to stop the fight early. He landed some strong body kicks and tried scoring with the elbow but Thomas’ footwork was too fast and he managed to slip away each time; a few times Thomas countered with a strong right hand to Boos face but towards the end of the round he looked a bit tired and all the moving around took its toll on his stamina.  In the third and fourth rounds Boo took advantage of that scoring with his knees and kicks and he used more clinch work which took its toll on Thomas’ stamina even more, Thomas landed a few good punches cutting Boo on the cheek in the 4th round and scored with some elbows but Boo’s experience paid off finding his way into the clinch and scoring well with his knees and taking Thomas to the floor a few times falling on top of him. In the last round both fighters looked tired but Boo’s experience saw him through and the final decision went to Boo on points.

Thomas performed fantastic given the short notice he had and it was his fitness in the end that lost him the fight and Boos vast experience that won it for him. Thomas also gained the respect of the crowd and Boo was very impressed with Thomas’ style and speed and said he had a great future ahead of him, a real compliment coming from such a great Thai fighter with so much experience.

We would like to thank Mario and Georgia for inviting us to fight on their promotion, their hospitality was excellent and we were looked after very well. All the fighters were very friendly and we made some good contacts from Italy and Corfu for the future. Boo was as humble as ever, he is such a nice guy.

Finally, a big big hug for Thomas and James from me, we had a great time and they made me very proud to be in their corner. Trix

Kristian Bainbridge vs Scott Court (Thaitans)

This was Kristians 2nd fight and gave a little experience away to Scott and he was nervous about being the first fight on. He came out for the first round very fast and strong burning a lot of nervous energy but catching Scott with strong punches and knees. The referee warned Scott for rolling his head too low but he kept trying to pull out away from Kristian who seemed to be in 5th gear constantly! Towards the end of the 1st round Kristian clinched Scott and threw a knee to the body but Scott once again rolled low and the knee caught Scott full in the face breaking his nose. The referee stopped the contest and the judges gave the decision to Kristian by TKO however as it was the first round the decision should have been a no contest.

Gavin Duce vs Nasser Soud Al Farhan (Martin Carter)

This was Gavins and Nassers first fight and Gavin felt very confident and not too nervous during the days running up to the show; on the day however at the venue he was feeling very nervous and this definitely affected his performance. His opponent was smaller and more muscular and started the first round very fast and Gavin didn’t really get started and got caught with several strong punches in the 1st round. His 2nd round was much better and he seemed to settle into the fight more using his footwork and knees in the clinch. After an exchange of  knees Gavin pushed his opponent back into the corner and threw a well timed left head kick which knocked his opponent down to the floor, the referee stopped the contest and Gavin won by TKO in 2nd round.

Michal Woroniak vs Man (Reaper Gym)

This was Michals 2nd fight and he was understandably nervous. His brother had come over from Poland to watch so he was eager to do well. Michal was very strong in his first fight and relied too much on that raw strength so we were hoping he would relax more in this fight and try to control the fight better. The first round went very well with Michal using his footwork very well and he moved around the ring to control the fight. He started to land some strong leg kicks and punches and won the first round. He stayed with the game plan taking his time and scoring when he could and moved around the ring, both fighters scored well but it was Michals leg kicks that started to take their toll by the 3rd round with Man taking an 8 count and struggling to stand and fight on two legs. We thought he wouldn’t come out for the 4th but he did to our surprise and with our respect kept trying to fight until he could no longer stand!! Michal won by TKO 4th round.

Danny Jordan vs Steve Allen (K-Star)

Danny is a good strong technical fighter and did very well in his first fight. He gave a little weight and experience away for this fight  but we were confident he would cope with that. Out of all our fighters on the night Danny was the most nervous and the size of the venue and the fact that his opponent was a local lad made it worse. He was very tired in the warm-up which shows that lots of nervous energy has already been burnt. The fight was well matched and both fighters used good technique and defence throughout but Danny was very tired from the outset and just couldn’t do what he wanted to do although he scored with punches and kicks Steve had more energy and just outscored him throughout the fight. A hard fought fight for Danny who lost on points.

Dave Childs vs Oleg (8 Limbs)

This was Daves 2nd fight and he was looking forward to it. Dave is very strong and has a strong fighting spirit. The fight was well matched with both fighters exchanging good combinations but Oleg used his legs and knees a bit more than Dave. Dave landed some strong punches and looked dangerous with his hands but Oleg covered up well and exchanged for solid kicks to Daves body and legs. By the 3rd round Dave started to use his legs more and they were starting to be affective but he kept getting drawn back to relying on his big punches. Oleg used more techniques and out pointed Dave in the ned. A good fight which the audience enjoyed and the final decision was to Oleg on points.

Ben Watts vs Jamie McIlroy (Murithai Fitness)

This was Bens 1st fight and he was suitably nervous for such a big venue for his debut. It was a well matched fight with both fighters weighing in within a kilo of each other. The first rounds saw both fighters testing the ground being cautious of each other. Ben favouring his hands over his kicks he landed a big left cross and knocked Jamie to the canvas in the 2nd round, this gave Ben the confidence to push forward but Jamie came back with some strong leg kicks. Bens footwork and use of the ring was very good and he landed some strong knees in the clinch but he struggled to get his kicks working with his hands. Jamie’s work rate was overall greater in the end and Ben lost on points.

Lewis Lazenby vs Gurtak Swali (Reaper Gym)

Lewis took this fight at 5 days notice after resting from his win at the Octagon centre on the 6th November. He gave aliitle weight away and some experience away to gurak who has been training a long time but in fairness not fought for 2 years. Lewis was definitely the under dog in this fight and Gurtak under estimated what Lewis was capable of. The first round went to Gurtak who landed some strong punches and kicks as Lewis was nervous and gave Gurtak too mush respect. Aftera  talking to from Mick in the corner Lewis came out stronger and took the fight to Gurtak launching fast explosive punching combinations followed by strong kicks to the legs and body. The following rounds were great Muay Thai to watch with both fighters exchanging kicks and punches, we felt that Lewis was definitely the aggressor with Gurtak bleeding from the mouth and looking like he was in trouble a few times. By the 5th round the fight could have gone either way although we felt that Lewis was one round up. He came out fighting hard and fast in the 5th round and bloodied Gurtaks nose and again Gurtak looked like he was back pedalling although he exchanged with Lewis landing strong kicks of his own to Lewis’ body. We were sure Lewis had the fight won but the judges decision was to red corner Gurtak Swali. A disappointing result but we were more than happy with Lewis’ performance.

Jaz Meates vs Matt McKeown (Reaper Gym)

Jaz is a promising young hopeful who is a technical fighter and has a great future ahead of him it was Jaz’s 4th fight and at 17 years old gave some experience away to an older fighter. He was nervous about this fight and rightly so as his opponent was a mature strong lookng man. He started off well using his footwork and the space in the ring to score and move keeping the fight at long range. He used his punches and kicks well in combinations but when Matt exchanged he did have the stronger technique. Jaz needed to keep this fight at arms length and continue to score and move hopefully trying to out point him to the end. Matt’s tactics paid off closing Jaz down and clinching at every opportunity he was much busier in the clinch and out scored Jaz every time who seemed to struggle to get his knnes working.  Jaz kept moving and working trying to score with his long kicks and punches but Matt just had the upper edge being the stronger fighter in the end and winning the fight on his knees. Matt won on points.

Thank you to Pete McCormick in the corner and Bear and Mehdi for their help in the changing room and to the supporters who came to watch. Thanks also to Steve Logan for putting so many of our fighters on his show and being able to keep the matches, it has been greatly appreciated.

Once again well done to all our fighters who have shown determination and committment in their preparation and great courage getting in the ring. Until next time!!

Mick and Trix

Dan Ward’s opponent pulled out 2 days prior to the show and Hussain found a replacement at the last minute. His opponent was a novice in Thai Boxing but it was obvious from his performance he had boxed before. Initially it was a tough fight for Dan, Obaid used the ring and his boxing skills very well in the first round. It took Dan the first round to settle in and find his range with his kicks and knees. Once Dan found his feet he used his Thai Boxing skills very well scoring with kicks and knees. Obaid’s boxing was better but against an opponent with better kicks and knees he eventually was beaten. Many thanks to him for taking this fight at short notice. Dan Ward won on points.

Jaz Meates vs Dan Brannon

Jaz was originally supposed to be fighting for a title on this show but his opponent was unavailable to fight. He was rematched but not for a title. Jaz came out very strong in the first round looking very confident and with a solid Thai style. Dan was older and looked stronger but didnt really get started. Jaz started landing solid leg kicks and head kicks which put Dan on the back foot and he took an 8 count. Eventually Jaz stopped him with a well timed head kick. Jaz Meates won TKO.

Lewis Lazenby vs Liam Owen

This was Lewis’s 3 fight and his first 2 fights were very tough and unfair so we were determined he had a fair match this time. Lewis looked composed and in control from the very beginning using his ringcraft and footwork very well. This seemed to faze Liam who wasn’t sure how to pin Lewis down. Lewis scored constantly with a strong left leg kick and landed his solid left cross a few times. Liam stayed in the fight but could not not push Lewis back who used hit and move tactics to his advantage. This was definitely Lewis’s best performance and showed he is a champion in the making, but credit to Liam who went the distance and would not be deterred. Lewis won on points.

Darren Castledine vs Derek O’Flynn

This was Darrens come back fight after 10 years out of the ring! His preparation went well and he was ready to give his all. Many old students came to watch him which made it the event of the night for Wicker Camp and his entrance into the ring was welcomed by a packed standing crowd. Derek had a game plan and knew that 10 after years Darren would probably prefer to start slow and ease into the fight. He came out all guns blazing and caught Darren with a strong left cross who backed up into the corner to weather the early storm. Derek continued to pressure Darren who replied with a solid right knee to Dereks body but unfazed he cornered Darren again and launched a series of punches and knees, Darren not wanting to get caught again so early in the 1st round tried rolling and slipping the punches but unfortunately rolled too low onto a knee and sustained a big cut to his forehead. The doctor stopped the fight immediately and after 40 seconds in the 1st roud the fight was over. This was very frustrating for Darren and all of us as he never got started. Credit to Derek whose strategy paid off. Derek won TKO.

Helene Garnett vs Anallissa Bucci

This was a well matched fight and Anallissa has a reputation of being a tough girl. Helene was feeling a little under the weather on the day experiencing flu like symptoms but she was determined to fight. The fight was extremely exciting and both girls gave everything they had. Helene was in control throughout the fight and definitely had the stronger technique landing solid kicks and punches. Anallissa fought back well but was unable to trouble Helene who won the fight on points.

Well done to all our fighters on the night and for all the hard work and dedication they put in preparing for the show. Many thanks to our seconds Pete McCormick and James Burke and to Mark Poole who helped downstairs preparing fighters. Finally a BIG thank you to all our loyal students and supporters who came to support the event.

Thomas McCormick beat Liam Robinson to become the ISKA Welterweigjt European Champion.

Thomas’ performance was outstanding and controlled the fight throughout, Liam was always dangerous but couldn’t pin Thomas down. Thomas landed some heavy leg kicks early in the fight, he put Liam down in the clinch a few times and used his ringcraft brilliantly.

Thomas will be fighting for a World Title next year against Andy Thrasher and is confident of the victory.

Jillian just lost this fight on points but performed very very well against a fighter with twice her experience. She scored with good solid leg kicks throughout and landed some strong punches and strong knees in the clinch. Her inexperience and nerves lost her the fight being a little hesitant and Kelly having the higher work rate. Definitely one to be re-matched next year possibly for a Commonwealth Title.

This was a fantastic fight with both girls giving everything right from the bell. Jillian got the upper hand early in the fight landing a heavy punch to Julies head which she took an 8 count for. Julie recovered well and fought back strong landing some good punches. Jill started landing her right leg kick early in the fight, she was also moving well and used good punch and left kick combinations. Julies clinchwork was good and she landed some good knees on Jillian but the leg kicks and relentless attack started to take their toll on Julie by the 4th round and Jill was way ahead on points. Julie looked in trouble with her left leg towards the end of the 5th and the referee stepped in to declare a win by TKO and the new WRSA English Champion Jillian Corbett. A great fight and credit to Julie who was slightly less experienced and lighter but gave an excellent performance. 

Dan Ward vs Steven Clarke (Studio 2000) 57kg 5×1.5 minutes

This was Dans second fight and we new it was going to be tought one against the more experienced Derby lad. Dan who was very nervous started off well finding his range quickly and attacking with good kicks and punches. The fight was pretty even with Dan just having the upper edge in the first 2 rounds. The 3rd round saw Steven step up in work rate and landed some strong punches to Dan head putting him on the back foot a little for the rest of the round. In the 4th and 5th round Dan fought back well using his kicks and knees but Stevens experience came through and he clinched the last 2 rounds winning the fight on a close points decision.

James Pierce vs Jordan Macey (Studio 2000) 40kg Junior rules 5x 1.5 minutes

This was a rematch between the two young lads who fought in Sheffield last July with James very closely and controversially winning. A very well matched pair with both fighters showing excellent skill and courage. The first 2 rounds were pretty even with both fighters scoring and countering equally, James used the ring very well and showed good footwork and countering skills taking Jordan to floor several times in the 2nd round which we felt he definitely won. Jordan cleverly used clinchwork to spoil James’s attack in the 3rd round and this was an even round. In the 4th and 5th both Jordan and James fought their heart out both scoring with well timed kicks and punches and these rounds could have gone either way but we felt James had shown slightly better skill and landed more effective techniques on the whole. The judges decision was a draw. They have another rematch on the Octagon Show in Sheffield on April 3rd for an English Title! 2 great fighters who are future champions for sure.

Thomas McCormick vs Lee Green ISKA Commonwealth Title

A fantastic performance from Thomas once again winning by KO in the 3rd round.

Doncaster 27th November

James Ogden vs Mike Clarke UKMF English Title – Mike Clarke won on points.

Jamie Woodward vs Jaz Williams – Jaz won Jamie retired in 4th round

Helene Garnett vs Corina Van De Geers UKMF MAD European Title – Corina won on points

Imran Khan vs Tim Thomas – Draw

This was a fantastic opportunity for Thomas who has been with Wicker Camp since he was 6years old and after only 17 senior fights has a British and Commonwealth Title. This was a big event and there was the usual fan fare on the internet preceeding this event but Thomas being the quiet young man (his fighting name is ‘ The Silent Warrior’ ) refrained from commenting and let his fighting speak for itself on the night. Many people thought Thomas was out of his depth and that he didn’t have the experience so he was definitely not considered to be a real threat. Thomas trained very hard for this tournament and felt he had nothing to lose, we felt that he had grown a great deal from his last fight against James France (even though he lost on points) and it was possibly the right time to see if he would rise up to the occasion and shine……………….

Quarter Final vs Kerith Bella 3×3 minute rounds

Thomas was unlucky in the draw and didn’t get the opportnuity to choose his opponent for the first fight, the quarter final, and he drew Kerith Bella from the Firewalker Camp. Kerith is strong and tough but we knew that Thomas’s style would cause problems for Kerith and it did. Thomas started scoring straight away with punches and landed some solid leg kicks. His clinchwork was better taking Bella down a few times and in the 2nd and 3rd rounds he landed some excellent spinning elbows. Bella was always dangerous and took advantage of Thomas’s low guard and landed some good punches but Thomas took them well and fought the perfect fight, he looked composed and in control the whole time, eventually he caught Bella with an elbow, this didn’t stop the fight but it was obvious at the last bell that Thomas had won all 3 rounds. For us his performance was perfect he couldn’t have had a better start and he surprised the crowd.

Semi Final vs Kev Harper 3×3 minute rounds

Kev was very confident he was going to win this competition and being 2x World Champion and 5x British champion you can forgive him for his self-assurance, he had also said that Thomas was far too inexperienced to trouble him. Kev was far too experienced to become complacent and we knew Thomas had to keep a tight defence and keep Kev moving as he looked tired towards the end of his previous fight so the plan was to work to the body and keep scoring and try and wear him down. Thomas took control of the fight and used his footwork well he landed some good body k icks and by the 2nd round Kev did look tired with Thomas taking Kev down a few times. Thomas was visibly enjoying the fight and Kev looked like he didn’t want to be there. In the 3rd round Thomas caught Kev’s body kick and as he threw him off balance landed a lovely little knee to Kev’s face cutting him on the cheek bone. 3rd round TKO and into the final.

Final vs Andrei Kotsur 3×3 minute rounds

Andrei Kotsur from the Ukraine current World Champion and with 115 fights experience this was going to be a tough fight. We were hoping that Andrei would be banged up as his style was similar to Bella’s and he’d had 2 quite tough fights. Thomas was banged up and starting to feel tired but he new he was only 3 rounds away from winning the tournament. Thomas started off well but it became apparent that Kotsur was a very tough fighter. He came out strong and hard landing solid body kicks and pushing Thomas over a couple of times. Thomas had to use his footwork to keep safe but found it hard to keep scoring, he looked tired and by the end of the 3rd Kotsur’s experienced had kept him working and he’d done enough to take the 8 man trophy.

An absolutely fantastic performance by Thomas and many people were very impressed with him and we are happy that he has made his mark. Well done Thomas we are very proud of you.

Thank you to the students who went to support, you were of small number but very loud. Also to Pete McCormick (Thomas’s very proud dad) our seconds man who is worth his weight in gold.

Mehdi Firoozi vs Kev Ward (Commonwealth Title)

This promised to be a difficult fight for Mehdi against Kev who is 6′ 5″ having a reach  and height advantage under Full Muaythai Rules(FTR). Mehdi was really nervous having not fought for nearly 10 months but had trained really hard and needed to win this fight to him back on track. The first round started off pretty even with both fighters feeling each other out, Mehdi scored with some strong punch and leg kick combinations and Kev caught Mehdi with a glancing elbow. Mehdi came out stronger and more confident in the 2nd catching Kev with more kicks to the legs and started scoring to his body. Kev always looked dangerous caught Mehdi with some strong knees to the body. 2 minutes in the 2nd round Mehdi caught Kev with a left uppercut and right hook which dropped Kev who took an 8 count. He continued but Mehdi seeing the end in sight unleashed a barrage of ferocious punches on Kev who looked in trouble and was not defending himself or fighting back. The referee stopped the fight and Mehdi won the title by TKO.

Mehdi is back and you will be able to see him fight again at the end of November in Doncaster.