SFC 9 – Fight Talk Scotland Preview
This Sunday 8th March, SFC, one of Scotland’s top 3 MMA promotions, returns to Stirling’s Albert Halls with it’s 9th show, offering a blockbuster card featuring a mix of Professional and Amateur MMA and also K1 fights – something for every fight fan. Doors open at 12 Noon and this is not a show you should miss.
For full ticket information and news on all upcoming shows and potential changes to the card, be sure to like SFC’s Facebook page by clicking HERE
Some of Scotland’s top prospects both amateur and professional are featured on the card, which this time has a real international flavour, featuring fighters from 5 countries, including as far afield as South Africa! SFC shows in the past have produced some of the most memorable moments and best fights in Scottish MMA, and I see no reason why this card won’t create some fantastic moments of it’s own.
We will be live at the show keeping you up to date and providing detailed Play by Play on every fight (I’ll try my best with the K1) – be sure to like our Facebook Page by clicking HERE – especially if you can’t make the show and want to know what happens!
Here, we take a look at the card and preview the most exciting fights on paper. We will just be looking at the MMA bouts, as my striking knowledge could be written on the back of a stamp. That had been cut in half.
Professional
Iain Feenan (Headhunters) (2-0) v Alessio Cuirli (AFT, ATT. Italy) (0-0) @ Pro Welterweight
In the main event of the evening, what I’d argue is Scotland’s hottest professional welterweight prospect, Iain Feenan, takes on his toughest opponent yet in Italian National Judo Squad member Alessio Cuirli – just the fact that Feenan, himself a decorated member of the GB Judo National Squad is meeting someone who matches and may even better his judo credentials makes this one must see! A real treat for fans of elite level grappling.
This may be Cuirli’s debut but training out of American Top Team, arguably the best MMA camp in the world, you can guarantee he will be completely prepared – and he’ll need to be. Feenan’s combination of World Class Judo, excellent submissions (both his professional victories came by First Round Submission), striking skill (the owner of a head kick KO in his amateur days, and training out of HeadHunters, you know his striking will be improving all the time) and conditioning make him a tough out for anyone. Will Feenan continue his rise up the pro ladder, or will his Italian opponent derail him? I know I want to find out!
Scott Malone (Shooters) (0-0) v Imam Dabo (Crossfight Paris) (0-0) @ Pro Flyweight
In a “finally” moment, Scott Malone of Dundee Shooters makes his professional MMA debut. Using a combination of World Class Judo, ferocious ground and pound and a deadly armbar, which led one particularly “clever” writer to christen him “Ronda” Malone, Malone absolutely decimated everyone there was to beat at Bantamweight in Scotland at Amateur, until he ran into Aidan Stephen last year at Rise of The Spartans. Undisputedly the two best amateur fighters in Scotland at the time, the two put on the best Amateur fight I’ve seen in Scotland. The narrow decision loss for Malone has prompted the move down to Flyweight and the step up to Professional. Considering how Malone absolutely ragdolled people at 62, I can’t wait to see how he performs at 57kg. I know little about his opponent, other than this is his debut fight, but he better take his passport, as if “Boom Boom” Malone gets a hold of him he is going flying!
Matti Laurenson (Spartans) (1-0) v Patrick Turner (0-0) (Sixth Sense) @ Pro Lightweight
Ryan Quinn (Cross Combat) (0-1) v Nathaniel Brash (Sixth Sense) (0-1) @ Pro Bantamweight
Grouping these two together as 4 fighters young in their pro career clash in two Scotland v England bouts, which are sure to engage the crowd.
Spartans Matti won his debut via vicious elbows against the always game Jonny Goodall and this time out he battles Sixth Sense’s Patrick Turner. Sixth Sense guys, coached by Cage Warriors World Featherweight Champion Alex Enlund, are really starting to make an impact in MMA and this is a good next test for the well rounded Matti, who looks better every time I see him fight.
In the other Scotland v England clash, two fighters who lost their pro debut clash in Quinn and Brash, meet in another well matched bout. You know that both guys will have that “first win” hunger and leave it all in the cage which should lead to an exciting bout.
Welterweight Pro
Brandon Maddock (South Africa) (0-0) v Peter Etelian (Crossfight Paris) (0-0) @ Pro Welterweight
Both guys making their pro debut and I’m content to admit I know less than nothing about either of them. However, it is a testament to the SFC show that they are putting on a professional bout between two international fighters. Fights like this prove that SFC are here to help the sport and not just make money. These two won’t have sold a ticket between them, but SFC giving them a chance to make their pro debuts and adding a real international flavour to the card.
Before we move on to preview the amateur portion of the card, I feel it’s worth noting, and praising, that every one of the Professional fights on this card is fair. There are no on paper mismatches here. Debutants are fighting debutants. There are no 30 fight veterans fighting rookies. Nobody on this card with a massive winning record is fighting anyone on a losing streak. I appreciate sometimes those matches come about, but credit to SFC for matching even, fair, bouts.sghional bout between two international fighters. Tm. However, it is a testament to the SFC show that they are putting on a pro
Amateur
Owen Longrigg (Lycans) v Thomas Hepburn (Rick Youngs) @ 66kgs Amateur
This to me is the pick of the amateur undercard, purely based on the skill sets of the two fighters involved. Owen punched me in the face when we fought and made me spin like a carousel, fighting at his natural weight now I can only assume that power will increase. Hepburn won his last fight with a Head Kick KO at The Art of Combat in a display of scintillating striking (how often do we see head kick KOS in Amateur MMA!?). Where this fight really distinguishes itself from the rest of the card is that both guys are also successful competitive Blue Belts in BJJ. Whereever this fight goes, both these competitors will be comfortable, and capable, and this is what leads me to tip this one as a potential fight of the night.
Sandy Dove (MXP) v Frazer Hirsch (House of Pain) @ 84kg Amateur
If I told you there was a fight featuring a European Boxing Champion, or the winner of the IBJJF Black Belt Europeans, you’d be interested right? Well this fight features a competitior of equal credential in their craft. Frazer Hirsch is a former European Champion in the Art of “Backhold Wrestling” and he makes his Amateur MMA debut at SFC 9. A fascinating art, which I encourage you to do a quick google search on, where the competitors adopt an upper body clinch known as “hold” (similar to over unders) and battle for takedowns and aren’t allowed to ever break the hold. I, and a few other MMA guys, tried this art once and got absolutely rinsed (well, SFC matchmaker Rob McCrum got a bronze, but the rest of us got rinsed). Probably most comparable to Greco Roman Wrestling if we’re looking for a conventional MMA art we might have heard of, it’s fair to say that if Hirsch can get a body lock on Dove, we might just see a slam for the ages. Great to see high level competitors from different martial arts than we’re used to, particularly one with such a proud Scottish heritage.
Kev Brooks (DNFT) v Thomas Nelson (Ind) @ 62kgs Amateur
Dean Elliott (Team Viper) v Danny Gillespie (D Unit) @ 63kgs Amateur
Grouping these two together as these bouts feature two of the top bantamweight prospects in the country fighting against game opponents who will be keen to buck the odds.
Kev Brooks of the DNFT has long been touted as a top prospect, after his debut victory via head kick KO made everyone take notice. Brooks followed that up with a rapid submission in his next bout proving his well roundedness and ability to finish fights in multiple ways, and he will be looking to get back on the winning track after a fight of the night defeat last time out at FFC. I admittedly don’t know much about Nelson, but is he is as skilled everywhere as Brooks then we’ll have a fight on our hands.
I had identified Team Viper’s Dean Elliott as a prospect way before he stepped foot in an MMA cage, due to his vast success on the local grappling scene. His wrestling always looked a step ahead of those he was grappling against especially, and he seemed to win every competition he entered. Dean justified the prospect tag with his debut TKO victory over Kieran Laidlaw, whose impressive showing on Saturday at Immortals proved just how impressive a performance that was for Dean. His grappling achievements, coupled with a KO on the feet in his first bout led to him being matched with Euan Macleod. Dean gave one of the countries top Amateur Bantamweights EVERYTHING he could handle in a fight of the night effort, and narrowly lost a decision. Dean again takes on a tough opponent in Danny Gillespie, who is an experienced campaigner and training at the D-Unit, we know he’ll be ready to bring it and will be hungry to upset one of Scotland’s top prospects.
I personally would love to see the winners of these two bouts matched against each other next.
Scott Drummond (MXP) v Kam Cheng (Fusion) @ 62kgs Amateur
In what is sure to be a fun fight between two guys that really embody what Amateur MMA is about, two of Scotland’s busiest competitors meet in a bantamweight bout. Drummond is an incredibly active fighter, always game and always ready wherever the fight goes. Having seen him fight, his record certainly doesn’t do his skill set justice. Fusion MMA’s Cheng gets serious plaudits, as he will be fighting for the 2nd time in 2 weeks.
Those bouts are the pick of the card, but here is the full card and running order below
*Main Event*
Welterweight Pro
Iain Feenan (Headhunters) v Alessio Cuirli (AFT, ATT. Italy)
Lightweight Pro
Matti Laurenson (Spartans) v Patrick Turner (Sixth Sense)
Flyweight Pro
Scott Malone ( Shooters ) v Imam Dabo (Crossfight Paris)
Bantamweight Pro
Ryan Quinn (Cross Combat) v Nathaniel Brash (Sixth Sense)
Welterweight Pro
Brandon lee Maddock (South Africa) v Peter Etelian (Crossfight Paris)
77kg Amateur
Chris Duncan (MXP) v Graham Russell (PKA)
62kgs Amateur
Scott Drummond (MXP) v Kam Cheng (Fusion)
62kgs Amateur
Kev Brooks (DNFT) v Thomas Nelson (Ind)
63kgs Amateur
Dean Elliott ( Team Viper ) v Danny Gillespie (D Unit)
64kgs K1 rules
Keiran McCormack ( MXP ) v Rory Cummings (Stirling Uni)
65kg K1 rules
Ross Sweeney (MXP) v Iain Possilthwaite (Lycans)
69kgs K1 rules
Daniel aquiluna (Stirling Uni) v Mark Duncan (The Den)
61kgs K1 rules
Scott Macavoy ( MXP ) v Sean Anderson
66kgs Amateur
Owen Longrigg (Lycans) v Thomas Hepburn (Rick Youngs)
84kgs Amateur
Sandy Dove (MXP) v Frazer Hirsch (House of Pain)
74kgs Amateur
Chris Morton (Ind) v Graham Postlethwaite (Ind)
66kgs Amateur
Dennis Ducky (Shooters) v Alexander Campbell (Higher Level)