The much anticipated second event from the contender
Championship series of competitions took place on
Sunday 18th March again at the Solihull Combat Sports
Centre. The second competition in the series had a
lot to live up to after the success of the first event
but the shows promoters had made many changes to try
and make it even better in terms of quality of fights
and also in organisation.
Clubs in attendance on the day all pre entered and
matched would be USKA, Solihull Combat Sports Centre,
Newark Martial Arts, Bai Lang, Jesters Gym, Ace Kickboxing,
IFA, Stoke Lau Gar, Force One, ASBBA, Aero-Kick, Black
Country Combat, Eclipse, ECKA and DEMAA.
Topping the bill on the day would see two USKA fighters
battle it out for title honours.
'Relentless' Reiss Larvin would contest the BLCC English
title against Ace Kickboxing's Musadak Rizwaan and
Jake 'Rattle Snake' Richards would fight IFA's Zahid
Jamail in a BLCC British title fight.
Despite some teething problems on the day with many
no shows and fighters coming in over and under the
weights forwarded by their instructors the organisers
did a good job with getting the rematches done and
getting the show on the road without any real noticeable
delay.
The one thing the Organisers pride themselves on is
good fair matches, Not just throwing two kids together
to make a fight but to really scrutinise every variable
to make the fairest match for them on the day.
The show got off to an excellent start with the first
bout of the day setting the standards for everyone
else to keep up to.
Haroon Khan (USKA) Vs
Dillon Moss (FORCE 1)
An on form Haroon cruises to a decision win despite
a strong effort from talented Dillon Moss in the third
and final round. An excellent start to the days fighting
and a fight that had set the standard for everyone
to follow.
Next up for USKA saw a really even money match between
novice fighters over two round
Khayam Khan (USKA) Vs
Josh Spencer (JESTERS)
Both fighters matching each others output but Khayam
having the better connect rate with his straight punches
and round kicks over the two round fight.
Khayam showing good technique comfortably earning
himself his first win and showing improvement since
his precious and first tournament effort in December
last year at the same venue.
So two out of two for USKA and Zain Rafiq's turn
now to see if he can continue the winning streak.
Zain Rafiq (USKA) Vs
Joe Brown (FORCE 1)
If this fight had to have a film title attached to
it would have had to be called 'The fast and the furious
4' with Mr Brown and Mr Rafiq going at it none stop
from start to finish with barrages of punches and
kicks. The judges had a tough one to call here but
decided that Jo had done enough to marginally take
the first round and Zain had done enough to take the
second that left the bout even as a draw.
Next we had a demonstration bout between two up and
coming USKA girls.
Megan Kelly (USKA) Vs
Stacey Richards (USKA)
Megan and Stacey both showed class and a nice mixture
of technique putting on a show of how a demonstration
should be fought. Often you see demo bouts which are
boring to watch and there just to keep coaches and
unmatched fighters happy but both little Stace and
Megan stepped it up on each other as the three rounds
progressed keeping the skill factor high and the power
levels down.
An excellent demonstration which kept the crowd happy
and interested.
Time now for the first Uska senior of the day and
a welcomed return to the ring from Rayon Thorpe against
Stoke Lau Gar's Ben Johnson.
Rayon Thorpe (USKA)
Vs Ben Johnson (STOKE LAU)
Both fighters seemingly wary of one another not willing
to get close and mix it exclusively trying to keep
each other at range using their legs with Rayon having
marginally more success landing.
After a warning to both fighters from the referee
for not punching Rayon mixes bore hands into his combinations
and grows in confidence with his success doing so.
Rayon is the more fluent of the two and as he was
shaking off the ring rust from his inactivity in the
ring you could see he was doing the better work over
the two rounds of the fight.
The winner on scoring shots and particularly boxing
combinations landed, Rayon Thorpe.
A really interesting competitive match up now between
current ISKA English Champion against a rising USKA
star. Regis obviously the favourite going into the
fight but Ridwan happy to take the challenge and see
what he could do against the champion.
Ridwan Khan (USKA) Vs
Regis Sugden (NEWARK)
A surprisingly fast start from Ridwan seemed to catch
Regis unawares backing him up to the ropes and keeping
him there for the most part of the fight. Ridwan's
pressure tactics seemed to be working but Regis was
rope a doping making Ridwan miss as much as he was
landing at times.
Going into the third round and with both fighters
tiring the accuracy and sharpness looked to have gone
out of the legs of both lads. The final bell sounds
and as an overall impression the USKA corner feel
they have done enough to have caused the upset.
The judge however seen things too close to call and
instead sits on the fence awarding the bout a draw.
What it has done as it was such a close fight has
seen both camps agree to a rematch for the vacant
BLCC English title at stake set for the 29th April.
Will the difference of the 5 rounds make a difference
to the result or will it again just be too close to
call? All will be revealed so watch this space.
Another demonstration now between two fighters that
are up there as being without doubt two of the best
in their weight divisions respectively.
Mark Sedgwick (USKA)
Vs Callum Hawthorne (SOLIHULL)
The crowd were treated here to nothing short of a
master class, Two killer kickers sharing the same
ring and really putting on a show of skill, control
and variety of technique.
Both respectful of each other and not smothering the
other lads work they both showed exactly why they
are being touted as being the ones to beat in the
junior ranks.
A very appreciative crowd knew they had just been
treated and showed their thanks with probably the
loudest applause of the day so far.
Next up it was time for two more novices to try and
follow such a difficult act.
Adil Khan (USKA) Vs
Dolton Smith (BAI LANG)
This three round fight saw Adil use his height and
reach advantage well over Dolton landing accurate
long jabs and round kicks to body and head.
Dolton just could not seem to find the formula to
break Adil's flow but in the third round seemed to
be getting a little closer landing a few more shots.
Unfortunately for him it was not enough to make a
change in the scoring of the bout and Adil was declared
a worthy winner
Another adult fight now with two big guys aiming
to show what they had got.
Qasim Ali (USKA) Vs
Eric Deville (STOKE LAU)
Another fighter using his reach well was Qasim Ali
keeping Eric busy defending regular straight punches
the head and then dipping down the body for the left
hook or taking the round kick up to the body or head.
Qasim's fight strategy seemed perfect and saw Eric
for the most part of the fight covering up and not
able to get much offence of his own going over the
two rounds.
No doubt about the winner here with Qasim having his
hand raised in victory.
The first of the title fights now with 'Relentless'
Reiss Larvin challenging for the vacant BLCC English
title against Derby Ace Kickboxing's Musadak Rizwaan.
Bout these two looked sure to clash at the WAKO British
Championships in February but a very controversial
decision against Rizwaan in the preliminary rounds
kept them apart.
This bout was scheduled over 5 x 1 1/2 minute rounds
with three scoring judges.
'Relentless' Reiss Larvin (USKA)
Vs Musadak Rizwaan (ACE KICKBOXING)
Round 1
Round one starts with Reiss as the aggressor stamping
his authority on the bout from the opening bell.
Reiss is landing accurate kicks both down the centre
and around the side and Musadak looks a bit caught
in the headlights trying to move for position.
Reiss receives a quiet warning from referee Dean Sugden
to lighten things up but fails to heed the warning
again piling on the pressure ending the combination
with a vicious uppercut that sends Musadak collapsing
against the ropes.
The USKA corner cringe and have visions of the bout
being stopped by disqualification.
Luckily the fight is allowed to go on after another
warning from the referee this time sterner and with
minus points being threatened if the warning was not
listened to again.
Reiss then drops down to about 30% power and shows
the skilful side of his fighting repertoire that people
rarely get to see picking his man of with control
and accuracy.
The bell sounds and the USKA corner are just happy
that they get a chance to speak to their man and implore
him to keep the power down and the skill level up.
Score: 10/9
10/9
10/9
Round 2
Reiss continues where he left off with good control
picking his man off and hitting him at will.
It is clear that Musadak's conditioning is not the
best and he is struggling even dealing with the impact
of Reiss's 30% power shots. He is also now struggling
with a bloody nose and things at this point for the
Derby fighter are looking bleak.
Reiss continues to pick away and shows excellent targeting
to the body and head making it all look effortless.
The bell ends the round and it is again back to the
corners.
In the ACE kickboxing cornerman Mushtaq Khan is concerned
about his fighters condition not happy at the fact
that he is struggling to breath through his nose and
saves Musadak from further punishment waving he contest
off and throwing in the towel.
An easier than expected title win for Reiss but one
all the same that earns him his English National title
belt.
Score: 20/18
20/18
20/18
Click
here to see the whole of Reiss and Musadak's BLCC
English National title fight
Another USKA Vs ACE clash now with Akbar Khan giving
away experience but relishing the challenge against
the Derbyshire fighter.
Akbar Khan (USKA) Vs Usmaan Akhtar (ACE KICKBOXING)
Akbar starts well but it is clear that Usmaan has
confidence aswell as skill and answers back with excellent
boxing and kicking combinations. Akbar is trying everything
to break away but Usmaan manages to equal and better
the connect rate of the USKA fighter.
The fight plays out with Akbar playing catch up but
always in it and landing some really good shots to
show the ACE kickboxing fighter that he is no walk
over.
The final bell sounds after 3 rounds and it Usmaan
who is declared the winner.
A bit ambitious with the matching maybe but a fight
that Akbar turned in a good account of himself and
showed the potential that is sure to come with a little
more experience.
In the next fight we were probably treated to fight
of the day when two very talented juniors indeed stepped
in the ring to do battle.
Zakir Rahman (USKA)
Vs Ryan Sharpe (NEWARK)
This fight started and right away it looked as though
someone had hit the fast forward button as both fighters
were fighting at such a frenetic pace.
Both were matching each other with hands but it seemed
that Zakir was mixing his legs into his combinations
that little bit more effectively to take the first
round od action.
Round two begins and the spectators are waiting for
the action to slow and the fighters to get tired but
it does not seem to happen.
We are treated to more of the same with once again
Zakir getting the best of the exchanges predominantly
down to his superior kicking skills.
Round three was probably the best of the lot, Ryan
knowing he was behind made a big effort to make a
difference but was met head on with Zakir refusing
to concede his lead.
At last it seemed like Ryan was starting to lose steam
and Zakir took advantage of this by finishing strong
and once again taking the third segment to claim the
win.
Excellent performance by Zak against an excellent
prospect in Ryan Sharpe.
Champions of the future no doubt!
e crowd needed to catch their breath after that one
and they were able to with the somewhat slower pace
of the next two fighters in the ring.
Haris Khan (USKA) Vs
Ethan Hale (FORCE 1)
Haris and Ethan's styles gelled well and both looked
to be well matched.
The fighter went back and forth for the two rounds
and the judges scored it a round a piece, first to
Haris and second to Ethan to declare the decision
as a draw.
This would make a good rematch somewhere down the
line.
Isa Hanif (USKA) Vs
Megan Kerry (Newark)
Megan Kerry from Newark is a tenacious little Miss
from Newark who must have ice running through her
veins. She showed no sign of fear fighting Isa who
was towering over her and had no interest in turning
the bout into a demonstration. This girl wanted to
fight!
And fight she did.
She went straight at Isa from the opening bell and
shocked him for the first 20 seconds or so with him
not expecting a sweet little girl to be as effective
or aggressive as she was.
Isa found his feet then and realised if he was going
to win this fight he needed to mount a little offence
of his own. This he did and in fairness to him he
done enough to take the first round.
The second and third round Isa knew what to expect
and was ready for Megan as she relentlessly steams
forward. By this time Isa was landing more but in
credit too Megan the gutsy kid just kept on going
forward always forcing the fight.
The final bell sounds and although Isa is declared
winner it is Megan that gets the applause and wins
the fans over with her equal mix of talent and cuteness.
e second of the two title fights and main event of
the day saw USKA recently crowned WAKO Champion Jake
'Rattle Snake' Richards attempt to add the BLCC title
to that and the ISKA title he won last year.
In his attempt to unify the titles he would have to
face a fighter he had fought and beat two weeks earlier
in the closest of close decisions over two rounds.
This bout was scheduled over 5 x 2 minute rounds with
three scoring judges.
Jake 'Rattle Snake' Richards
(USKA) Vs Zahid Jamail
(IFA)
Round 1
Zahid starts straight away with good lateral movement
looking sharp with his footwork and making Jake have
to hunt him down if he wanted to hit him.
Zahid starts to throw multiple kicks and is beating
Jake at his own game making it difficult for him to
set.
There is no way that Zahid can maintain that pace
for five rounds though and as his tempo starts to
drop Jake exchanges some fast combinations to even
things up.
Jake's hands seem to be making the difference for
him and they both look equal on kicking rate.
The round ends and it is a pick em round meaning it
is very close and could have went either way.
Score: 10/9
10/10
9/10
Round 2
Jake doesn't allow Zahid the good early start in this
round that he had in the last and presses the action
straight away backing Zahid to the ropes. He is banking
on if he gets Zahid to work hard early in this session
that he might start to get tired and let his own superior
fitness take over in the bout.
Jake's tactic seems to be working with Zahid's shots
becoming slower and more predictable with Jake getting
his defence to most of them.
Jake is controlling the ring centre now and his fast
pace and pressure fighting seem to be having a big
effect and taking it's toll on the IFA man.
Zahid's crowd are cheering every time he lifts his
legs and attempts a kick but it is Jake's kicks that
are landing and clocking up the points.
The bell rings and it couldn't have come a second
too soon for Zahid as he wearily slumps onto his corner
stool.
Score: 20/18
20/19
19/19
Round 3
Jake knows he has his man tired now and is determined
not to let him off the hook and keep the pressure
on. To be tired in the second round of a five round
fight is bad news and Jake knows he can take advantage
of this if he keeps his foot down on the pedal.
Again it is Jake stalking forward and Zahid with his
back against the ropes looking for position.
Zahid is blowing now and it is all Jake on the offence
seemingly getting stronger as the round goes on.
Zahid looks in distress now and referee Dean Sugden
is taking a close look at the action.
Jake motors the pressure sensing his man is nearly
spent and feeling he may be able to force a stoppage.
The bell sounds and both fighters return to their
respective corners.
Jake's suspicions are confirmed when IFA cornerman
Baggi Singh waves the contest off from the corner
stating that his man is just plain and simple out
of gas.
Jake is elated at his achievement and his hand is
raised as the new BLCC British champion.
This title win makes him in total a 3 times British
light continuous Champ.
Score: 30/27
30/28
29/28
Click
here to see the whole of Jake and Zahid's BLCC British
title fight
Another senior bout now and the second fight of the
day for the USKA terminator Qasim Ali.
Qasim Ali (USKA) Vs
Stephen Wright (BAI LANG)
The second bout for Qasim proved more competitive
than the first with Stephen offering some stiff resistance
with good straight punches. Stephen also had good
kicking ability which he was getting off fast.
Qasim was making the mistake of plodding down the
centre line and getting caught with straight line
punches and although having success of his own he
was not managing to make his mark or break away on
the score cards of the judges.
Stephen got tired nearer to the end of the second
round and Qasim came on strong which was just as well
as the judges at the sound of the final bell declared
the bout a draw.
A second bout of the day for Haroon Khan now and
one that looked like it was going to be tough.
Haroon Khan (USKA) Vs
Ricky Bailey (BAI LANG)
Ricky looked from the start that he had some mat fighting
experience with a mat type style of pumping the leading
leg out in a machine gun motion. These type of fighters
always pose problems for ring Kickboxing stylists
simple because they don't get to experience that style
often.
Haroon looked vary wary of the lead kicking leg and
was not willing to fully commit for fear of being
hit with it. This was slowing down his offence and
stopping him scoring as effectively as he would like.
If he wanted to win this fight at some point he was
going to need to bite the bullet and move forward.
In the second round he did exactly that closing the
ground and landing more frequently. Also because he
was taking the fight to mid range Ricky was less effective
with his lead leg.
A turning point in the round came when Haroon executed
and landed a peach perfect flying side kick that caught
Ricky flush to the head and dropped him down to the
canvas.
The third round saw some more excellent back and forth
action with the fight continuing in the style of the
first two rounds.
It would take a brave judge to split these too and
it seems like they were all out of town.
No one was complaining though, a well deserved draw
for both lads.
Serina Larvin (USKA) Vs
Emily Aston (USKA)
Another all USKA girl demo now that at times got a
little heated as the girls went through the gears
(but the less said about that the better).
Some pretty good work in between the biting and pulling
hair (joke) that showed that both girls have skill
and good technique.
Back to the decision bouts now with two up and coming
fighters.
Adam Eyaz (USKA) Vs
Josh Spencer (JESTERS)
Adam starts the first round well and builds a good
lead against Josh not allowing him to settle.
After words of wisdom from the jesters corner Josh
comes out strong and more focused in the second round
and puts in a good account of himself. With the first
round to Adam and the second verging on a draw the
winner or his strong first rounds work Adam.
Some more senior bouts now to show the kids how or
how not it is supposed to be done.
Nadeem Mohammed (USKA)
Vs Darren Stolz (STOKE LAU)
Nadeem giving away almost 8kg and age to his opponent
starts very cautiously and shows his foe a little
too much respect. After realising that he is a league
or three above his man he steps up the pace and starts
to impose himself more landing some crisp combinations.
Nadeem in hindsight probably fought the right fight
given his opponents advantages but stepped it up at
the right time to make sure he had clocked up enough
points to grab the judges eye. Nadeem is rewarded
with the decision and the win.
The heavier guys and the promise of maybe a few fireworks
watching them both warm up.
Marko Conte (USKA) Vs
Danny Johnson (STOKE LAU)
Marko up against an aggressive Danny Johnson is unimpressed
with him trying to take his head off jumping in with
his punches but keeps his cool and composure to take
most of the shots onto his tight guard and counter
with some sharp jabs and round kicks to the body.
Danny is throwing alot of shots but lots are falling
short of their target and failing to score.
Marko is also doing a good job of blocking the straight
line punches and at the same time clocking up some
points for his defence work.
The decision is unpopular with the Stoke camp but
warranted as Marko's hand is raised in victory.
The final fight of the day now with Haris Khan stepping
in for his second bout of the day as Liam Parker's
opponent had pulled out.
Haris Khan (USKA) Vs
Liam Parker (NEWARK)
The last fight of the day was a simple case for the
judges of workrate Vs scoring shots. Liam pressing
forward with none stop straight punches and Haris
picking his counters on the back foot.
Feeling that Haris had landed more kicks but Liam
had landed more punches again they made the decision
that the bout was too close to call and a draw was
awarded.
So there it ends and nothing but positive feedback
from all involved. It seems to be a winning formula
that is now in place and one that other promoters
of ring light continuous fighting are keen to follow
suit with.
A much needed formula for competition to shake up
the stale light continuous scene and one that nobody
can deny is improving the sport that now seems to
have a bright future.
Roll on Contender Championship series III
