Ultimate Beatdown 8 – The Real Thing Reports pt 1

Ultimate Beatdown 8 – The Real Thing Reports pt 1

Published on May 6, 2012 by The Editor in Ultimate Beatdown

Ultimate Beatdown 8 at Ultimate MMA Academy

Here’s Part One of the Reports

OK this is your actual (or where I come from we would say “yer actual”) good honest grass-roots MMA event.

It takes place in a gym above a pet shop, a real fighters gym, posers need not apply, this is not a place for rows of expensive machinery, sure there are some but this is a place where people mainly get ripped by pure hard work, the old-fashioned way, with kettle weights and skipping ropes and well you know!

But, it’s mainly about the work in the cage. Yes, that’s right this gym has a cage, in case you thought it was just another gym trying to jump on some MMA craze bandwagon. This is Malaysia’s longest established MMA gym. Unlike top ten lists and opinions from people. This simple fact is A FACT.

Melvin Yeo who runs this Gym is a full-time teaching professional who just happens to also be a pretty useful MMA fighter and all he wants to do is train people. This is like the old days of boxing when kids from the streets, the bad kids, the ones always getting into trouble would somehow find themselves into a gym and boxing would change their lives. Well, that’s what Melvin Yeo does he changes people’s lives. He is an unassuming gentle man who probably could fight at a decent level yet he does not really seem to care that much whether he does or not, he just wants to train these people in his so-called spare time. Seven days a week before and after his ‘real’ job he is in the gym.

There are bigger gyms and better equipped gyms but this is an honest gym with one aim to train people.

So what goes on in this cage? Rolling, Sparing many sweaty and often violent events. Outside of the cage you can beat up on some heavy bags and at the end of the day young men often trouble makers are turned into respectful young warriors.

They don’t have grand expectations of appearing for instance at ONE FC, but you can bet your life if they do get there it will be the  hard way and they will have earned the chance. But, that’s a long way away.

Tonight for some of these fighters after just a few short weeks of training they are going to have their first real fight in a cage. The crowd such as it is are crowded around the cage, these are family, friends and real MMA fans. there is no VIP section, no special press area for the hangers-on who don’t go to an event unless they get all the freebies, there are not even any pretty ring girls or even a microphone for the MC (who by the way is also fighting). This is it, sweaty, basic and exciting. This is the first step on the ladder. This is real Grass Roots MMA.

Bout 1:

Amateur 2 x 3 minute rounds:

Lai Long Shang Vs Yong Zhi Hao

So first fight, two beginners, two-three minute rounds and no winners or losers. It’s just about the experience of being in the cage. That does not mean this won’t be a real fight. These kids are going to go at it.

Round 1:

Hao stands very tall compared with the much shorter Shang but that is not seeming to concern Shang who just wants to fight. The first round starts off fairly even, Hao had a couple of occasions on the ground where he was on top but he failed to make it pay.

Round 2:

Again the fight sways back and forth, again Hao got top position, yet Shang from the bottom was causing problems and he soon moved the much bigger boy off of him and took top position transitioning for an attempted armbar. It looked pretty good but was obviously not quite right, that will come with more training, for now it was not quite good enough.

Hao managed to regain top position but in a reverse position facing Shangs feet and was landing punches behind his body to Shangs head, eventually Shang unmounted him and managed to sink in a rear naked choke attempt, he did not panic and worked it well especially for one with so little training. Eventually Hao had to tap at 2:30 of round 2. But as this was an amateur beginners fight there was no official winner, both fighters received a trophy for their trouble and both deserved and received our  applause.

Bout 2:

Amateur 2 x 3 minute rounds:

Sina Hosein Pour Vs Chankai Cong

Round 1:

Again we had a big size difference I don’t know what the weight difference was between the much smaller Pour but Cong was significantly heavier. Again we had two first timers and frankly the size difference was too much too really learn a lot.

I suppose what we did learn is that Pour has one hell of a lot of heart as no matter what he tried to do eventually the weight of Cong was a telling point. Cong was able to bully Pour against the cage and throw him with relative ease. What he was not able to do was actually finish him and as the fight progressed Cong got very tired and Pour much the fitter was able to keep pressuring him.

Round 2:

The second round continued much the same but Cong was certainly struggling with his fitness level and Pour was in a prime position to impose himself but ultimately the weight difference really left no room for him to do any real damage to an opponent who could just lean his weight into the situation.

When the fight finished both fighters should be proud to have reached the end. A great first bout for both of them.

Bout 3:

Amateur 2 x 3 minute rounds:

A last-minute bout as two friends decided they wanted to fight each other. I am sure I don’t have the correct names but if any body wants to contact me with the correct details I will happily update them

For now lets call them Tcela Pa Vs Da Hong as that’s what it sounded like when they were introduced.

Rounds 1 and 2:

A very even fight and these guys who did not even intend fighting until this evening when having watched their friends Hao and Cong fight, they decided they wanted a go. It’s that kind of atmosphere. Two kids wanting to fight under controlled conditions. They showed no small amount of heart and put on an enjoyable show.

So that’s the beginners taken care off.

So far it’s been an enjoyable evening of fighting from kids who acted in a respectful way towards their opponents and the audience.

Next we will cover the Main Event fights.