A top night of action at the Dome. Ross Pearson and Jason Ball took titles with displays that oozed star quality. Despite a ton of pull outs- there was solid action down the card and a series of hard fought home victories to keep the crowd happy.
As usual, the show ran like clockwork and the venue and production make Ultimate Force a top event.
Full report at www.hurtbusiness.com
Dan Hardy turned up and stole the show with another bravura performance. I believe that he has a chance of making a real impact in the UFC. He has bitten the bullet and gone abroad to train early in his career. The results are there for all to see. A real coup for Ultimate Force to get him on the bill in a significant European contest. [Check out his website www.danhardymma.com and to see his hilarious photo editing skills and great taste in fight reports]
The EFR team went 0-2 at Ultimate Force. Mark O'Toole and Aidan Marron both came up against formidable opponents and took some stiff punishment. Aidan Marron in particular had a tough night. Not only was he facing a late replacement he hadn't prepared for- he was fighting a bloke who looks ready to fight and beat anyone at the moment. Last year- the Irish lads made a habit of flying over and beating up English opposition. This year, the results haven't been as impressive- but the professional attitude and general good humour are still the same. They are a credit to the sport
I've seen a bit of hot air on the Internet forums about the behaviour of the crowd on Saturday and the actions of security at the Dome. I didn't put anything in my report about it because I didn't see anything to write about. The Thompson fans were loud- like they always are. The Donny crowd were loud- like they always are. There was a bit of good natured banter. The security asked a few guys to sit down like they do at football every week. Nobody even got thrown out. A total non story.
The story is: the security acted like they should at a high end venue like the Dome. Calm and professional- maybe a little fussy, but that goes with the territory. The Thompson fans are proper MMA fans. Unlike at boxing, when often a fighter's mates turn up and stay in the bar until their man is on, they always watch every fight. I suppose they have to do this to get value for money as the average Thompson fight last about twenty seconds before the opponent goes to sleep.
For me – Saturday night's crowd was a good news story. From a sporting point of view, another major UK show with no booing and full respect for all fighters. If you dig a bit deeper, it gets better. For the last week, there have been a number of pieces in the press labelling the people of South Yorkshire as racist thickos because the BNP won a couple of council seats in Rotherham in the local elections. Any of the mainstream press turning up at an Ultimate Force would have seen a big hall full of South Yorkshire folk cheering on an Eastern European immigrant in the main event. Of course, you won't read this in the papers because it is a good news story about UK MMA and they were all too busy covering important events like the women's FA cup final and the gripping climax of the world snooker championship.
Any regular readers will know that the hurtbusiness would like to get rid of the whole demeaning and sexist concept of ring card girls.
Having said that- if you're got to have them- you may as well go the whole hog. What's the point in getting some decent looking young lass to squeeze into a sponsors T-Shirt and look faintly embarrassed as she skulks round the cage.
You may as well book Katie and Lindsay- two lasses who certainly left their mark on Ultimate Force. Girls who built up their parts to such an extent – they virtually had to be dragged out of the cage for the start of every round. Even a miserable old git like me has to admit they added something to the show. More brassy than classy for sure- but they made me laugh.
www.hurtbusiness.com