FCC 35: The Results

Words by Murdo Todd

Well, that concludes yet another action-packed event for FCC 35. Six new Champions were crowned on Saturday night, and fans were treated to a whole lot of fun fights, dramatic moments, and clinical finishes.

Amateur Card

George Cooper kicked off the amateur card with a unanimous decision victory over Shaun Bourne and moved to 1-0 as an amateur.

The rest of the card also saw Kyle Riley, Ste Keane, Dec West and Kallum Haslem take home victories.

Then it was the turn of Stefan Vesca, Josh Kelly, and Jack Colledge to get their hands raised, before it was time for the most anticipated non-title amateur fight of the night.

Tom Harvey and Yannick Goitom did battle over the scheduled 3 rounds, both put on great performances in what was a phenomenal fight. Goitom did enough to earn a decision victory, and could now find himself fighting for a title next.

Amateur Title Fights

Kenny Withworth Vs. Luke Burns kicked off the nights amateur title fights, as the pair were matched up for the FCC Amateur Bantamweight title. After the scheduled 5 rounds, and a gruelling back and forth, Whitworth was awarded the judge’s decision and the status of Champion.

Elliot McGibbons and Jordan Parker were next up as they battled it out for the vacant Middleweight crown. Parker extended his undefeated record in the third round, taking the back of the well-schooled McGibbon and submitting him with a rear naked choke to take home gold.

In the Welterweight Title between Mariusz Mikolajewski and Nathan Lambert, Mikolajewski ended a three-year layoff and shocked many by dispatching of the highly touted Lambert, who has collected several amateur titles over the past year. Mikolajewski bloodied and submitted Lambert in the first round, firmly staking his place among some of the best amateurs in the country!

It was then the turn of Shay Ingram and Christian Soda to contend for the Lightweight strap. Ingram would take home the belt and extend his record to an impressive 8-0 after defeating Soda via a unanimous decision victory.

Then came the turn of Sami Hoque to defend his Featherweight Title in dramatic fashion. After almost a full 5 rounds of action, Hoque sunk in a guillotine in the dying seconds of the final round! He ultimately forced Jamal Raja to tap with one second(!) left on the clock, take his record to 8-0, and retain his Featherweight Title.

Professional Card

Charles Joyner and Jordan O’Neill kicked off the fights in the paid ranks. O’Neill would happily stand with the 6’7 15-2 kickboxer, Joyner. After battling through two low blows in the first round he would find his own success while Joyner looked to use his kicks and knees. O’Neill seemed up for it from the beginning and maintained a good level of aggression throughout the contest. Pairing his own striking triumphs and moments of grappling throughout, O’Neill would get his hand raised after a judge's decision.

Farmaarz Mohammad and Yusuff Nazokatov were up next, competing in a lightweight bout. Keeping mostly on the front foot, Mohammad found success on the feet early - cutting Nazokataov in the first round. Nazokataov responded well in the second round, finding his range and counter punching well - ‘The Persian Prince’ seemed to make it level after two. In the final five minutes, both men would have their moments in what was a close round, but it was ultimately Mohammad who earnt the judge’s nod.

After some last-minute bout changes, it was Mike Thompson and Harry Davies who would now fight at 74 kg catchweight. After an early flurry from Thomspon in the first minute, it didn’t take long for him to land his signature left hook.

‘Lefty’ sunk Davies with a single shot, forcing the referee to jump in after just a couple of ground and pound punches. The fan favourite leapt the cage to celebrate with a sea of screaming supporters.

Haider Khan and Bogdan Kotlovyanov were up next at a catchweight of 88 kg. Khan used his grappling to take down Kotlovyanov early in the first and kept him there before sinking in a d’arce choke with 90 seconds left in the round. Making light work of the Ukranian.

In the evenings co-main event, Tom Mullen and Markus Maki-Ventela squared-off in a 73 kg catchweight fight. After being taken down early in the first, Mullen reversed position to find himself on top. From there, Mullen threatened submissions before skilfully making his way to Maki-Ventela’s back. It didn’t take long for Mullen to latch up a rear-naked choke, adding to yet another finish to his already impressive resume. The strangulation expert strikes again!

And finally, in the Main Event of the evening, Joe 'Silk' Cummins looked to add a second FCC Title to his collection as he took on Lucas Aguiar for the Lightweight strap. From the very start Cummins looked sharp, having an answer to everything that Aguiar attempted to do. After showing off some of his grappling skills, Cummins passed to mount and rained down heavy ground and pound, which saw him add to his first-round finish streak and take home the FCC Lightweight Title, and with that Champ-Champ status! Well done ‘Silk’.

We must commend all the athletes who competed at FCC 35 this past weekend, win or lose, congratulations to all of you!

And of course, thank you to all the supporters who came out to make it another memorable evening for all those involved, see you December 16th for FCC 36!