Shock N Awe 11: Prelim Review
AddictedMMA were there to catch all of the action, and believe me, the top fight of the prelims was an example of the talent pool Shock N Awe is delivering to the fans:
Ben Carr vs Matt Hughes, Semi-pro U75kg Catchweight
Anybody in the know about these two fighters must have had this down as one of the most anticipated fights of the night. Both strong, both technically good and both potentially huge names in the not too distant future.
The first round was a real battle of strength with both fighting hard to take control of the fight. Hughes initially had Carr pushed on the cage wall and then dragged him down to the ground. Creating some space he managed to land ground and pound while Carr did his best to tie him up and limit damage. Hughes decide to drag Carr away from the cage and took side-control, stepping over in to full-mount and looking like he may be about to cause Carr some huge problems. As he postured Carr showed great strength in turning him over, from where they both found their way back to their feet. Carr quickly found himself back on the fence but with only moments left in the first round this battle for inches was to continue on!
The second round commenced with both fighters throwing strikes only for Hughes to shoot again and take Carr down. Hughes went to work trying to trap an arm but in the process Carr nearly found the space to get up, but Hughes was quick to shut that situation down, placing himself firmly back on top and in control. With Carr still fighting hard to improve his position Hughes seemed to playing safety first after posturing up and looking like he was about to unload with GnP, only to get back close to Carr and retain complete control. The pressure these two were exerting on each other was immense and it must have been beginning to wear on them. With not enough happening on the ground the referee stood them up.
With not much time left in the second round Hughes again shot for the takedown, and despite Carr sprawling they resumed the now established position of Hughes on top, conservatively working and looking to cause damage.
The third round saw Hughes really fulfil his potential. Starting the round with a lovely combo and spinning backfist to takedown, he was immediately back on top and establishing full-mount. Posturing up he was shaken back down by Carr who was still determined to be in this fight, but Hughes started landing hammer-fists and short punches.
Gaining a very high mount Hughes began to unload with GnP, Carr still trying to defend and find a way out. Ultimately it was too much for the referee though and the fight was waved off at 2:56 of the third round. Hughes had executed the basic elements of MMA perfectly and waited for the right time to finish with a flourish. Carr must have been left frustrated that he did not get the chance to impose his own skill-set on his opponent.
Jamie Pritchard vs. Anton DeFreitas, Semi-pro BW
Pritchard quickly took this one to the floor, picking up and slamming DeFreitas to the mat. A guillotine attempt was defended well and Pritchard was back in guard, not being able to land much in the way of ground and pound Pritchard switched his attentions back to DeFreitas' neck, in doing so DeFreitas reversed the position and was now on top. After landing a couple of big shots Pritchard worked his way up and took DeFreitas down again, unleashing some ground and pound was nearly the undoing of Pritchard as DeFreitas looked to have locked in an armbar, not panicking Pritchard expertly spun out of the danger and finished the round on top.
It's clear DeFreitas is happier on the feet as the second starts but Pritchard would prefer the fight to play out on the floor. It's Pritchard who gets his way as he takes it down and is in side control, throwing some heavy shots leads to him taking DeFreitas' back and looking for a rear-naked choke, DeFreitas defends it well and turns the tables on Pritchard and is now looking for a rear-naked of his own! Pritchard defends it and works his way into DeFreitas' guard. The third saw Pritchard setting up the takedown with a couple of kicks and into side control. DeFreitas however has secured Pritchard's arm and is working for the kimura, after a few anxious moments Pritchard frees himself and starts to work his own kimura. DeFreitas defends it well until Pritchard also locks on an inverted triangle that looks pretty tight, with his attention distracted Pritchard pops DeFreitas' arm out and gets the tap via kimura.
Gareth Millar vs Manuel Pais, Semi-Pro WW
A breathless start to this battle saw the two top prospects tie up quickly, with Millar pushing Pais on the cage but Pais starting to throw and land knees. Millar attempted to bring the fight down to the ground but ended up underneath Pais. Millar managed to slip out and end up in the North-South position. For a moment Pais had Millar all tied up but Millar was quickly out of danger and back in control on top. Side-control taken by Millar but Pais showed great strength, scrambling and trying to get back up. Millar retained top position though, finally able to start landing some shots to the body of Pais, all the time keeping side-control. As the round drew to a close Millar was trying to improve his position but Pais was able to keep him close and prevent him stepping over into full mount.
Pais started the second round with some strong striking, but Millar soon began firing back hard. Pais changed things up and began pushing Millar on the cage but Millar was able to reverse the position. Down they went with Pais assuming the top position but Millar showing great strength by forcing his way back up, only for Pais to drag him back down and take Millars back, looking for the rear-naked choke. Exhausting stuff! With the RNC apparently in place, for a moment it looked like Millar was not prepared to give up, trying to strike Pais from this position, but with a slight adjustment from Pais it was too tight and Millar was forced to tap. Pais the impressive winner at 1:39 of round two.
Damien Weeden vs. Martin Avery - K1 Bout
Weeden started this one like a man on a mission, throwing several hard, accurate punches from the get go, Avery eased his way into the fight and started to throw more strikes but it was Weeden's that seemed to have more power in them. Weeden caught one of the many kicks Avery was throwing and scored a knockdown. However as the round wore on it was Avery who was coming into his own as Weeden tired. Avery started the second as he finished the first, landing strikes against the cage; Weeden wasn't in the mood to take many more and fired back with some of his own. A left hook from Avery was returned with a body shot by Weeden, the round ended at a furious pace with both going for the finish.
The third kicked off just as fast and furious as the second ended, both men met in the middle going for a KO. One point was deducted from Weeden for persistently tossing Avery to the floor after repeated warnings from the referee.
Back to the action and Weeden catches Avery's leg and lands three or four shots that had Avery hopping backwards. Once free Avery answered with several of his own, one of which opened up a cut over Weeden's right eye. With the action halted so the doctor could check it out both men had chance to catch their breath. When the action was restarted it was hell for leather stuff; both stood and traded that had the Mountbatten Centre on its feet cheering and applauding the action. Neither man was taking a backward step and every shot seemed as if it landed, with each blow the crowd got louder and louder. As the fight was coming to an end both were still looking for the KO shot but their chins held out. Martin Avery got the nod via Majority Decision in what was my fight of the night.
Ben Harrison vs Brett Caswell, Semi-pro FW
Harrison was quick to try and throw Caswell but slipped and found his opponent swarming all over him. Caswell had Harrison on the floor against the cage, landing good punches to the head with the referee paying close attention. Caswell climbed on top of Harrison who was looking for a way to escape but there was only a brief respite before Caswell was again raining down blows, with Harrison caught in a very awkward position. For a moment Caswell took Harrisons back but returned to the top with more GnP before securing an armbar and snapping on the submission. A very dominant performance from Caswell who didn't give his opponent much chance to make a mark in this fight, winning at 2:34 of the first round, and looking sharp and fast in all areas.
Johnny Cromwell vs. Joe Loudof - K1 Bout
These two men went at it hard for three solid rounds. Cromwell started the quicker and tagged Loudof early on; the men continually exchanged low kicks for most of the first round but when it came to the striking Cromwell was landing first and more often. Round two had a similar pattern to the first. Loudof started aggressively and found a home for a few early punches but as the round wore on Cromwell's conditioning told and he took over the striking, again beating Loudof to the punch and landing numerous leg kicks. Loudof scored with a nice straight right near the bell but it was probably two rounds on the scorecards for Cromwell. A flying knee attempt from Cromwell started the third, followed by two leg kicks and a couple punches it was clear Cromwell wasn't going to coast to a win. Loudof caught Cromwell with an overhand right off the fence and followed it up with another that was returned in kind by Cromwell. The men went at it back and forth until the ten second clackers sounded; both put it all on the line until the bell looking for the KO but it was Cromwell who took the unanimous decision on the scorecards.
Chris Siddall vs Sam Rea, Semi-pro LW
Siddall got off to a nice start in this second fight of the night, seemingly able to use his reach to his advantage. Rea soon opted for the takedown but struggled to get through the legs of Siddall, finally letting him up. A nice straight from Rea really got the action going though, a punch that Siddall clearly felt. Rea was quickly pressing Siddall on the cage, working in some body shots. Getting clear of the cage Siddall wanted to press forward but Rea shot in and tried hard for the takedown, something Siddall was not prepared to let happen. A nice combination from Siddall saw Rea shoot for another takedown only for the two to end up on the cage. Siddall looked dangerous with his hands in the first round but Rea had applied a lot of pressure mixed with takedown attempts.
The second round saw Rea shoot straight in for another takedown, and upon completing it quickly moved from side-control to full-mount, and immediately in with the GnP. A dangerous situation for Siddall, but suddenly he was able to turn Rea over and was in top position. Rea attempted an armbar but Siddall was able to fight it off only for Rea to then attempt a guillotine. Another arm-bar from Rea but time was out and the fight was to go to the third round.
In the third Rea again quickly shot for the takedown but Siddall was able to stay on his feet with his back hitting the cage. Rea continued to try and bring him down but eventually decided knees to Siddalls legs was a better option. This was not enough action for the referee however and they were soon separated. Rea again shot in and grabbed a leg but a knee thrown by Siddall caught Rea in the groin and the ref halted the action. Once resumed it was Rea again shooting in and although Siddall fought hard he was eventually taken down with Rea in his guard. With Rea working punches to the body and the gaining side-control to full-mount he was soon landing punches to Siddalls head. Hard GnP was soon stopped by the buzzer and the relentless pressure and takedown attempts of Rea paid off as he was awarded the unanimous decision after three great rounds of action.
Nigel Marchant vs. Jamie Hawkhead - K1 Bout
Hawkhead started the better of the two men, quickly looking to make an impact. An early shot rocked Marchant; moments later an overhand right followed by a knee to the ribs dropped Marchant. It was apparent right away that the blow was one that would end the fight and the referee called the fight at just 37 seconds.
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Published by Ruarie Farrelly - Mon, 16 Jul 2012 22:39
