September 30, 2024

    THE BEST UK MMA GYMS IN 2024

    Austin Mascarenhas 30/09/2024

      Team Renegade (Birmingham) Team Renegade has quickly become a top MMA gym, especially with Leon Edwards, the UFC Welterweight Champion, training here. The gym focuses on MMA, boxing, and BJJ, making it a complete training centre for fighters. Renegade’s coaches have helped fighters develop world-class striking and grappling, making it a top destination for serious athletes. Notable Fighters: Leon Edwards (UFC Welterweight Champion), Tom Breese Specialties: MMA, Boxing, Wrestling, BJJ     Team Kaobon (Liverpool) Known for its striking expertise, Team Kaobon has produced UFC stars like Darren Till and Tom Aspinall. The gym emphasizes Muay Thai and wrestling, helping fighters develop a strong base in both stand-up and grappling techniques. Team Kaobon is one of the most respected MMA gyms in the UK for fighters looking to enhance their mixed martial arts game. Notable Fighters: Darren Till, Tom Aspinall Specialties: Striking (Muay Thai), Wrestling, BJJ       SBG Manchester (Straight Blast Gym Manchester) Part of the globally recognized Straight Blast Gym (SBG) network, SBG Manchester is famous for training well-rounded MMA fighters. The gym offers excellent coaching in BJJ, striking, and overall MMA, making it a top choice for fighters wanting to improve all aspects of their game. Notable fighters like Saul Rogers have trained here, cementing SBG Manchester’s reputation. Notable Fighters: Saul Rogers, Martin Stapleton, Specialties: BJJ, MMA, Striking     London Shootfighters (London) London Shootfighters is one of the top MMA gyms in the UK. Known for producing elite fighters like Michael “Venom” Page and John Hathaway, this gym specializes in MMA, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ), and wrestling. With a well-rounded approach to training, London Shootfighters is a go-to spot for fighters looking to improve both their striking and grappling skills. Notable Fighters: Michael “Venom” Page, John Hathaway, Karlos Vemola Specialties: MMA, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Wrestling, Striking     5. GB Top Team (London) Founded by UFC veteran Brad Pickett, GB Top Team is one of the fastest-growing MMA gyms in the UK. It’s home to fighters like Nathaniel Wood, and the gym focuses on MMA, BJJ, and striking. With its rapid rise and strong coaching staff, GB Top Team has become a key player in the UK MMA scene. Notable Fighters: Nathaniel Wood, Brad Pickett (Founder) Specialties: MMA, BJJ, Striking   These gyms consistently produce top-tier fighters and provide comprehensive MMA training, combining technical striking, grappling, and conditioning programs. They are well-regarded both nationally and internationally and are definitely worth training at if you are interested in improving your game.

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    Alex Pereira vs Khalil Rountree: prediction

    Louis Gapp 30/09/2024

    UFC 307 This weekend’s UFC event will see a highly anticipated light heavyweight clash between former middleweight champion Alex Pereira and fan-favourite underdog Khalil Rountree. For Pereira, this is another pivotal step in his journey to claim gold in a second weight class, while for Rountree, it’s the chance of a lifetime to shock the MMA world and cement his place among the division’s elite. Alex Pereira: The Powerhouse Alex “Poatan” Pereira (11-2) is a force to be reckoned with. Known primarily for his devastating knockout power, Pereira made his name in the UFC by defeating Israel Adesanya twice in kickboxing and then transitioning into MMA, where he repeated the feat. Pereira captured the UFC Middleweight Championship in November 2022 by knocking out Adesanya in the fifth round, only to lose the belt in the rematch via KO in April 2023. After moving up to light heavyweight, Pereira is now eyeing a second UFC title. His debut at 205 lbs was successful, as he defeated former champion Jan Błachowicz by split decision in July 2023. With his striking pedigree, which includes a background as a former GLORY Kickboxing World Champion, Pereira’s stand-up game is unmatched. His heavy hands and ability to control range make him one of the most dangerous strikers in MMA. Though still developing his grappling and wrestling, Pereira’s knockout power is always a threat, no matter the opponent. Khalil Rountree: The Dark Horse Khalil Rountree (14-5, 1 NC) enters this fight as a significant underdog, but underestimating him could be a grave mistake. Known for his explosive striking and aggressive style, Rountree is a fighter who can end a bout in an instant. After finding his footing in the UFC, Rountree has strung together a three-fight win streak, most recently dispatching Chris Daukaus via a first-round knockout in August 2023. His current form is the best of his career, but he has yet to face someone with the elite striking credentials of Pereira. What makes Rountree dangerous is his willingness to engage in violent exchanges. His Muay Thai-heavy style and ferocity have led to some brutal knockouts, including memorable finishes against Gökhan Saki and Modestas Bukauskas. However, Rountree’s path to victory will not be easy—he will need to avoid Pereira’s devastating punches and possibly take the fight to the ground, where Pereira is less comfortable. The Match-Up On paper, Pereira is the heavy favourite, with his world-class striking giving him a clear advantage in the stand-up game. Rountree, however, is no stranger to adversity and has shown time and time again that he thrives when the odds are stacked against him. Pereira will look to keep the fight standing, using his reach and technical skills to pick apart Rountree from the outside, while Rountree may look to make the fight ugly, using his aggression and potentially mixing in clinch work or takedowns to unsettle Pereira. Rountree’s unpredictability and knockout power make him a live underdog, but Pereira’s refined striking and calm under pressure could spell trouble for him if the fight stays on the feet for too long. Rountree will need to take risks and push the pace to have a chance of pulling off an upset, but that comes with the danger of getting caught by Pereira’s heavy hands. Prediction While Rountree’s underdog story is compelling, Pereira’s striking superiority and recent momentum make him the clear favourite going into this bout. Rountree’s best chance is to disrupt Pereira’s rhythm, but doing so will require him to avoid getting clipped by Pereira’s knockout power. If the fight stays standing, Pereira has all the tools to earn a finish by KO or TKO in the later rounds. However, if Rountree can make it a gritty and unpredictable affair, the potential for an upset is always present. Prediction: Alex Pereira by second-round TKO. The odds may be against Rountree, but as MMA fans know, anything can happen inside the cage. This weekend’s showdown promises to be an explosive encounter, with one fighter looking to move closer to a second world title, and the other hoping to shock the world.

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    Across The Pond profile Synergy FC fighter Mike Murray

    Myles Painter 30/09/2024

    Dropping down to a new weight class often ignites a fresh hunger in fighters when they veer off in the wrong direction. In today’s episode of Across The Pond, you will be introduced to a hawk of the howling night winds ready to regain his wings for Synergy FC at Featherweight. A professional mixed martial artist since July 2022 and representing Ignite Jiu-Jitsu and MMA Academy, Mike Murray owns a 4-2 record with all four of those victories coming via submission. He has never gone to the scorecards over the course of his journey as a professional MMA fighter at any point in time with a 100 percent finish rate to show for it. Murray has spent his whole professional tenure in the United States. All of his finishes during his career as a professional mixed martial artist have come inside of two rounds. Murray has fought for Fighting Alliance Championship and Synergy FC. He has two first-round finishes under his belt to go along with two second-round finishes through six appearances in the professional ranks. In his professional MMA debut at Fighting Alliance Championship 15, he faced Theo Brown and submitted him via rear-naked choke in the second round. Murray also tapped out Travis Ford in round two via rear-naked choke at Synergy FC Kansas City Fight Night. Then at Fighting Alliance Championship 17, he submitted Michael Banks in the first round via rear-naked choke. In the main event of Synergy FC 11, Murray tapped out Fred Freeman via rear-naked choke in round one. The victory earned Murray the fourth submission win of his professional career in addition to his fourth consecutive finish. He also picked up his fourth win inside the professional ranks in the process. Once Murray locks in on an opponent’s back or any limb in general, clear skies are in the forecast for this bird of prey!

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    PFL Europe Championships Lyon to be headlined by Abdoul Abdouraguimov vs Laureano Staropoli

    Aaron East 30/09/2024

    PFL Europe Championships Lyon at the LDLC Arena on 14 December will be headlined by France’s Abdoul Abdouraguimov as he faces off against Argentina’s Laureano Staropoli in a Welterweight main event   The evening will host the 2024 PFL Europe Championships Lyon as Welterweight, Lightweight, Bantamweight and Women’s Flyweight Champions will be crowned on 14 December   Tickets for PFL Europe Lyon are on sale at 10:00am CEST 2 October from ldlcarena.com   LYON-DECINES, FRANCE (10:00am CEST 30 September) – The Professional Fighters League (PFL), the fastest growing and most innovative sports league, today announced that PFL Europe Championships Lyon on 14 December at the LDLC Arena will be headlined by France’s Abdoul “Lazy King” Abdouraguimov (18-1) as he returns to the SmartCage against Argentina’s Laureano “Pepi” Staropoli (13-6) in a Welterweight main event.   Tickets for PFL Europe Championships Lyon, the first ever major MMA event in Lyon-Décines, will go on sale at 10:00am CEST 2 October on ldlcarena.com.   Abdouraguimov is currently on an eight fight win-streak, and recently showcased his grappling prowess in a world-class match-up against Jack Grant this March at PFL Europe Paris, as the two threatened each other with an array of submission attempts that kept the audience on the edge of their seats. Staropoli has over half of his wins coming by way of knockout, making him a danger on the feet in a fight that is bound to entertain the masses on 14 December.   After an incredible evening of mixed martial arts at PFL Europe Glasgow on 28 September, the Championship fights for PFL Europe Championships Lyon are now set. England’s Lewis McGrillen (10-1) and Germany’s Alexander Luster (9-1) will compete for the PFL Europe Bantamweight Championship after each fighter put on an unbelievable performance at the Playoffs.   Italy’s Daniele Miceli (13-5-0, 1 NC) will face off against Albania’s Florim Zendeli (9-1-1) in the PFL Europe Welterweight Championship, with England’s Connor Hughes (10-1) set to fight the 2023 title winner Jakub Kaszuba (13-0) in the PFL Europe Lightweight Championship. To cap off the evening of new 2024 champions, England’s Shanelle Dyer (6-0) will enter the SmartCage against Paulina Wiśniewska (4-0) to fight for the right to call themselves the PFL Europe Women’s Flyweight Champion.   “France has quickly become one of the biggest MMA destinations in the world, not only due to the high-level athletes that are being produced by the country, but the incredible fans that bring world-class atmosphere every single time we visit. It was an easy decision to bring the PFL Europe Championships here, and there was no better time to make our debut in Lyon.”  Said Peter Murray, CEO of PFL. “Our PFL Europe Championships will see the continent’s best mixed martial artists compete for our prestigious title and a $100,000 prize, and with everything on the line, we know the fans are in for a night of MMA that will be talked about for years to come.”    PFL Europe Championships Lyon will stream live in France and the UK on DAZN.   Updated PFL Europe Championships Lyon Card DAZN (France | DAZN (U.K.) |  Saturday, 14 December 2024   Welterweight Main Event: Abdoul Abdouraguimov (18-1) vs. Laureano Staropoli (13-6)   PFL Europe Welterweight Championship bout: Daniele Miceli (13-5-0, 1 NC) vs. Florim Zendeli (9-1-1)   PFL Europe Lightweight Championship bout: Connor Hughes (10-1) vs. Jakub Kaszuba (13-0)   PFL Europe Bantamweight Championship bout: Lewis McGrillen (10-1) vs. Alexander Luster (9-1)   PFL Europe Women’s Flyweight Championship bout: Shanelle Dyer (6-0) vs. Paulina Wiśniewska (4-0)   PFL is the only organisation in MMA with the sports-season format, where individual fighters compete in a Regular Season, Playoffs, and Championship each year. The combined roster of PFL and Bellator boasts 30% of its fighters independently world-ranked in the top 25 of their respective weight-class. PFL has an expansive global vision for the sport and is building the “Champions League of MMA” with PFL Europe, PFL MENA, and more international leagues in development. PFL leads in technology and innovation, with its proprietary PFL SmartCage, powering fight analytics, real-time betting, AI scoring, and a next-generation viewing experience. PFL is available on ESPN/ESPN+ in the U.S., DAZN in Canada and Europe and broadcast and streamed in 160 countries with 20 premium media distribution partners.

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    BRAVE CF 88 fight card will be in the history books for European MMA

    Aaron East 30/09/2024

    Slovenia hosted one of the biggest MMA events in Europe on Saturday, September 28, as BRAVE Combat Federation held BRAVE CF 88. In association with Slovenia’s top MMA promotion, WFC, the event became a major milestone in European MMA, with two new world champions crowned.   Bosnia’s Erko Jun secured the vacant Light Heavyweight World title by stopping Germany’s Alexander Wesner in the main event when Lithuanian heavyweight Pavel Dailidko claimed the inaugural BRAVE CF Heavyweight title by defeating Patryk Dubiela in the first round of the co-main event.   In addition to these championship bouts, the fight card featured top MMA talent from around the world, including a thrilling match between Monika Kučinič and Fabiola Pidroni, which was hailed as a Fight of the Year contender.   The event was the first in Slovenian MMA history to be covered by Kanal A, the country’s iconic TV station and it was also broadcast globally through BRAVE CF’s partners such as DAZN, CAZE TV, and Jio TV, reaching millions of viewers worldwide; making it the largest broadcasting in Slovenian MMA history.   The card also showcased Slovenia’s best MMA athletes, including Kirill Negru, Luka Podkrajšek, and Miha Frlic and with a sold-out arena, BRAVE CF 88 recorded the highest gate revenue in Slovenian MMA, building on the success of BRAVE CF 81 earlier this year. The event further strengthened Slovenia’s position as a premier destination for MMA fans in the region.   BRAVE CF 88 was the fourth event held in Slovenia by BRAVE Combat Federation, following BRAVE CF 34, BRAVE CF 70, and BRAVE CF 81. The organisation will next head to Spain for BRAVE CF 89, continuing its mission to grow MMA across Europe.

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